Plight of Rickshaw-pullers in Dhaka's VIP Areas
Plight of Rickshaw-pullers in Dhaka's VIP Areas Faizul Khan Tanim writes on a new wave of rickshaw ban Absurd as it may sound, but it is true that a new wave of rickshaw ban has hit the VIP areas of the capital with no permission to ply on the streets from 09:00 pm onwards. Residents of Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara, DOHS, Baridhara allege that there is no rickshaw available on the streets from 09:00 pm and even if a commuter finds one, h/she is asked to step down at police checkpoints and walk all the way home. Many residents are dumbstruck by this new change. They believe that rickshaws are not only green vehicles with zero pollution but are safer than black cabs and cheaper than CNG auto-rickshaws. Amina Begum (not her real name), a local bank employee said, “Last week I had a very busy schedule one day and had to leave late from work in Mohakhali at around 10:15. To my surprise, there was no rickshaw around so I walked till BRAC University and fortunately found one.