Rickshaw pullers occupied the Shahbagh intersection, demanding a ban on battery-operated autorickshaws and other measures, effectively halting traffic on nearby roads on Monday.
The protest began around 10:30 a.m. The rickshaw pullers claimed that autorickshaw drivers were undercharging passengers—Tk20 instead of the fair Tk50—resulting in a lack of customers for their services. They argued that their earnings from pulling rickshaws were insufficient to support themselves or their families.
The protesters highlighted that while autorickshaws used to operate mainly in alleyways, they now frequently run on main roads, causing traffic jams and accidents due to their disregard for traffic rules.
Earlier, on May 15, former Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader had directed authorities to ban battery-operated rickshaws from Dhaka`s streets. In response, on May 19, autorickshaw drivers protested the police`s seizure of their vehicles by blocking the Mirpur 10 intersection, vandalizing buses, and setting fire to a police box at the Kalshi intersection in Mirpur.
The following day, amid ongoing protests, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina permitted battery-operated rickshaws to continue operating in Dhaka.
