Rickshaw pullers blocked major roads in Dhaka, including the Shahbagh intersection, demanding a ban on battery-operated rickshaws and presenting a ten-point agenda for their rights.
The protest began when rickshaw pullers gathered at Shahbagh with their vehicles at around 10am on Monday (26 August).
During the protest, the rickshaw pullers highlighted their historical contributions, recalling how they played a crucial role in the 1971 Liberation War.
They reminded the nation of the atrocities committed by the Pakistani forces on the night of 25 March, where unarmed rickshaw pullers were attacked, and bodies of pullers and passengers were found together on the rickshaws—a memory that still resonates with the nation today.
They expressed their frustration, stating that since independence, rickshaw workers have remained neglected and deprived of their rightful entitlements.
They lamented that despite recent sacrifices, including the loss of lives during the fall of the autocratic Sheikh Hasina's regime, their plight has been largely forgotten.
In an effort to address these grievances, the rickshaw pullers have presented a ten-point demand:
- The government must release a list of all rickshaw pullers who were martyred or injured during the movement that led to the fall of the autocratic Sheikh Hasina regime and provide state support to their families.
- Rickshaw pullers in Bangladesh must be recognised as workers under the labour policy, similar to the United States' labour laws.
- Provisions must be made for rickshaw pullers' healthcare, education for their children, and housing.
- The influx of outsiders into this sector must be stopped, and working hours must be regulated.
- Elderly rickshaw pullers must be promptly rehabilitated.
- Parking and rest areas must be established for rickshaw pullers at every street corner.
- Physical abuse by traffic police must be stopped, and indecent behaviour by shopping mall and market security guards must be curbed.
- Battery-operated rickshaws should be confined to previously designated areas until the demands are met, and if they are allowed to operate in localities, specific provisions must be made for rickshaw pullers.
- The left side of the roads must be properly repaired.
- Rickshaw pullers must be included in national reform discussions and given the opportunity to participate in these reforms. Additionally, everyone must be mandated to learn traffic laws.
