The Rickshaw, Battery Rickshaw-Van and Easybike Drivers Sangram Parishad has set a deadline of seven days for the High Court to reconsider its stance on the use of battery-run rickshaws in the Dhaka metropolitan area and to find a solution for the issue through licences and route permits, reports bdnews24.com.
The organisation threatened to hold rallies in districts across the country on Nov 30 in solidarity with the drivers in Dhaka if a solution is not found.
Convenor Khalequzzaman Lipon announced the ultimatum and subsequent programmes at a rally organised by the group's Dhaka metropolitan unit in front of the Jatiya Press Club on Saturday.
"A Supreme Court ruling barring battery-run autorickshaws from highways remains in effect," he said. "How, then, can the High Court issue a rule to ban battery-powered rickshaws? The Supreme Court's verdict already renders the High Court's ruling null and void."
In April 2022, the Appellate Division decided that battery-run three-wheelers could not ply highways. As a result, the vehicles were approved to run on all other roads.
But, on Tuesday, the High Court ordered the barring of the vehicles from the Dhaka metropolitan area within three days.
The bench of Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi made the decision based on a writ petition by the Pedal-run Rickshaw Association.
On Wednesday, battery-run rickshaw drivers blocked the road in Dhaka's Dayaganj intersection to protest the decision.
The protests expanded to different parts of the capital on Thursday, blocking roads and rail lines in Mohakhali, Mirpur, Malibagh, Mohammadpur, Gabtoli, Agargaon, Nakhalpara, Rampura, and Khilgaon.
On Friday, the drivers blocked the road and rail line in Dhaka's Jurain. They also clashed with the police.
Under the circumstances, the Rickshaw, Battery Rickshaw-Van and Easybike Drivers Sangram Parishad issued its ultimatum.
