In the recent past, while staying in Bangladesh, a foreign diplomat, after hearing the story of Bangladesh’s progress, remarked, “A country where people pull each other (rickshaw drivers pedal to carry passengers) can never achieve true development”.
Perhaps now, many rickshaw drivers no longer need to pedal with their feet; battery-operated rickshaws have reduced some physical labor. However, there are still countless foot-powered rickshaws in existence.
And, for practical reasons, they will not disappear from our country anytime soon. But the problem is that battery-operated rickshaws come with their own set of rules.
Specifically, it is not permitted to attach a motor to a manually pedaled rickshaw and use it on the roads. The reason is that the engineering infrastructure designed for pedal-powered rickshaws is not suitable for the much higher speed of battery-operated rickshaws.
This is where the problem lies. Moreover, due to the limited speed and structural limitations of these vehicles, they are never fit to run on highways.
Despite the clear directives from the government, it is alarming to see three-wheeled battery-operated vehicles moving in the wrong direction on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway, particularly in the Narayanganj section.
The way these vehicles are operating on both sides of the highway, from the signboard to the Kanchpur Bridge, is creating traffic jams and chaos on one hand, and tragic accidents on the other. Over the past six months, more than fifty lives have been lost due to such wrong-way driving.
However, it seems that the relevant authorities are not paying much attention. Even though these vehicles are blatantly operating in the wrong direction under the nose of the highway police, no effective measures are being taken.
Police sources claim that daily operations are conducted, with many vehicles seized and fines imposed, but in reality, these steps appear to be nothing more than formalities.
A heartbreaking incident occurred a few months ago on the Kanchpur Bridge slope, where a housewife, her child, and an auto-rickshaw driver lost their lives in an instant.
Yet, even after this tragedy, there has been no change in the behavior of the rickshaw drivers, the effectiveness of the police, or the mindset of policymakers.
The experiences of pedestrians, passengers, and other lawful vehicle drivers clearly demonstrate that these battery-operated three-wheeled vehicles are entirely unsuitable for highway travel.
They create obstacles for larger vehicles and often cause accidents by suddenly appearing in front of them. Many times, they drive in the wrong direction, endangering not only their own lives but also the lives of other passengers and pedestrians.
There are accusations that the drivers of these battery-operated vehicles often manage to "handle" the police to continue their operations. If there is indeed a need to create alternative roads or lanes for these auto-rickshaws, then economic capability or proper planning is required for such construction.
Therefore, what is needed in the current situation is strict adherence to and enforcement of the rules. Perhaps, in the future, newly designed battery-operated vehicles might be suitable for highway travel, but for that, thorough research, testing, licensing, and separate speed limits are essential.
Ultimately, the foundation of good governance lies in "rules". A state that encourages a culture of rule violation is on a path to self-destruction. We must remember that development is not only about building roads, bridges, or skyscrapers.
True development is possible when citizens develop a habit of respecting the law, adhering to rules, and valuing the lives of others. A battery-operated rickshaw driver may no longer have to pull passengers with their feet, but if we continue to tear the rules apart in this manner, we will never reach any meaningful destination.