Battery-operated rickshaw, van pullers block roads in Badda

Battery-operated rickshaw and van pullers have blocked roads in Badda on Monday, demanding permission for 241,000 narrow-tyre battery-powered rickshaws and vans to operate under the jurisdiction of the Dhaka South and North City Corporations. They also protested the suspension of the sale of three e-rickshaw models by Akij Company.

The workers had initially planned to form a human chain, but at one point on Monday morning, they moved to block the road, causing severe traffic congestion in the area.

Police said there had been no prior announcement of a road blockade in the workers’ programme, as they had only declared plans for a human chain. However, during the demonstration, auto-rickshaw drivers blocked the main road in front of Badda Fuji Tower.

The protest are being organised by the Dhaka Greater South City Battery-Operated Rickshaw Owners-Workers Unity Council. The organisation claimed that long-standing restrictions on narrow-tyre battery-operated rickshaws have become a major obstacle to the livelihoods of workers.

Meanwhile, the Gulshan Traffic Division, in a notice, said that due to a road blockade in front of Badda Fuji Tower, passengers using this route are being urged to take alternative roads. They also advised travelers to allow sufficient travel time.

Passengers traveling from Rampura towards Kuril, Bashundhara, or Uttara can turn left from Badda Link Road and proceed via Gulshan-1 and Gulshan-2. Vehicles coming from Uttara have been advised to avoid the Badda route and use the Mohakhali route instead.

The road blockade has slowed traffic in Badda, Rampura, and surrounding areas, causing inconvenience to commuters, including office-goers and ordinary passengers.