Battery-run rickshaw drivers on Saturday announced to hold a sit-in programme in front of the National Press Club in the capital today for realising their demand to scrap the High Court鈥檚 November 19 order to stop plying of battery-run rickshaws on Dhaka city roads.
The leaders of the Rickshaw Van Easy-bike Sramik Union, addressing a press conference organised 聽by the union at Mukti Bhaban in the city, placed their 12 demands that also urged the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority to ensure logical route permits with modifying vehicles and providing them with driving licenses.
The drivers, following the High Court order, have been continuing street protests at places in the city. The protests triggered clashes with the members of law enforcement agencies and students.
They also staged a demonstration in front of the National Press Club on Saturday.
Addressing Saturday鈥檚 press conference at Mukti Bhaban, Rickshaw Van Easy-bike Sramik Union joint general secretary Ariful Islam Nadim said that the executive should ensure route permit for them.
He urged the government to formulate a policy to ply battery-run rickshaws on roads, to form a committee for planning and managing roads by engaging workers, to take initiatives for a functional lane system on roads and to release detained and arrested rickshaw drivers.
鈥榃e do not want any conflict and will hold a peaceful sit-in programme for realisinng our demands,鈥� the union adviser Abdullah Al Kafee Ratan said.
Abdullah claimed that 24 rickshaw pullers were killed during the student-led mass uprising that ousted the Sheikh Hasina regime on August 5.
鈥楢wami League general secretary Obaidul Quader and former home minister Asaduzzaman Kamal tried to ban battery-run rickshaws but failed,鈥� he said.
The union general secretary Abdul Kuddus and organising secretary Liton Nandi also spoke.
On Saturday, the Rickshaw, Battery-Powered Rickshaw-Van, and Easy Bike Sangram Parishad staged a demonstration in front of the National Press Club and placed their seven-point demand to resolve their challenges and secure their livelihoods, the United News of Bangladesh reported.
Leaders and activists of the Parishad gathered during the demonstrations and urged the government to take immediate steps to meet their demands.
The Parishad called for the registration of electric bikes, rickshaws, and other battery-run vehicles under existing regulatory frameworks, along with licences and route permits for drivers.
They also announced to hold demonstrations across the country to press home their demands.