Though the rapid increase in rickshaws across Dhaka has added to the city’s traffic chaos, authorities remain reluctant about the worsening issue, city dwellers complained. “Despite the visible impact on traffic congestion, the absence of accurate data regarding the number of rickshaws further complicates the situation,” said Saiful Azam, a city dweller, while talking to the UNB correspondent. A UNB investigation revealed a lack of precise information from the authorities responsible for regulating rickshaws, creating an alarming discrepancy between the data and the ground realities. Currently, some 10% of Dhaka’s residents commute using private vehicles, 25% rely on public buses, 5% use autorickshaws and taxis, while an overwhelming 60% depend on rickshaws. Battery-Run Rickshaws: A Growing Concern The proliferation of battery-run rickshaws has exacerbated the city’s traffic problems. These vehicles, operating without licences or formal approval, have become a source of frustration for pedal rickshaw drivers, who argue that their livelihoods are being adversely affected. This surge is occurring despite a 2014 High Court ban on battery-run rickshaws in Dhaka and Chattogram. Another directive issued on 15 December 2021 prohibited the import of such rickshaws. However, enforcement remains lax, leading to their unchecked growth on Dhaka’s streets. Licensing and Data Discrepancies The Dhaka City Corporation, now divided into Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), ceased issuing licences for pedal rickshaws over three decades ago, citing their contribution to gridlock. Official records state that Dhaka has 220,379 licensed rickshaws, with DNCC accounting for 30,162 and DSCC for 190,217. Read: Govt intensifies efforts to improve Dhaka's traffic management But a 2019 study by the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) estimated the number of pedal rickshaws in Dhaka to exceed 1.1 million, of which only 3-4% were registered. Behind-the-Scenes Power Play Interviews with rickshaw drivers revealed that controlling the number of rickshaws is challenging due to the involvement of politicians, administrators, and law enforcement. These groups allegedly protect and facilitate the illegal operation of rickshaws, given the sector’s profitability and its minimal contributions to government revenue. Jabbar, a pedal rickshaw driver with a decade of experience, shared stories of exploitation: “The money we earn is mostly taken by the owners. We pay daily deposits, road costs, and for any damages. If a rickshaw is lost, we must compensate for it in instalments. Owning a rickshaw is costly and depends on the area. In places like Gulshan and Banani, higher investments are needed. We are working hard every day but earn very little.” Another driver, Sumon Ali, highlighted the difficulties posed by the rising cost of living and competition from battery-run rickshaws: “Everything is expensive now, but the battery-run rickshaws make it harder for us as they take away our passengers. People often prefer them over us.” Investment in Rickshaw Ownership For investors, rickshaw ownership presents a lucrative opportunity. A new or refurbished rickshaw costs around Tk 20,000, with a daily deposit collection of Tk 200. Read more:Delay in Dhaka-Narayanganj Link Road expansion causes severe traffic disruptions An investment of Tk 100,000 for five rickshaws can break even within six months. Over three years and two months, this could theoretically yield a fleet of 320 rickshaws, considering a 10% damage rate every 5.5 months. This would result in a monthly income of Tk 6.12 lakh after deducting parking and maintenance costs. Organisational Exploitation Several organisations, including the Dhaka Division Rickshaw and Van Owners’ Association and the Bangladesh Rickshaw Owners League, have been accused of illegally issuing number plates for rickshaws. The DSCC confirmed that rickshaw licences have not been issued since 1986, yet these organisations continue to provide licences, citing stay orders from the court. Importance of Rickshaws Despite their drawbacks, rickshaws remain vital to Dhaka’s transport and economy. They are widely used for commuting, school trips, and recreational purposes, especially during the monsoon. Estimates suggest that between 1 and 4 million rickshaws operate across Bangladesh, carrying 25 million passengers daily. But the rise of auto-rickshaws has introduced additional challenges, including increased traffic congestion, road accidents, and safety risks due to excessive speeds. Many auto-rickshaw drivers lack experience, further endangering road users. Read more: Demonstration of dismissed armed forces’ members halts traffic for 3 hrs While rickshaws are environmentally friendly and produce no harmful emissions, their slow pace and growing numbers contribute significantly to Dhaka’s traffic woes. A Cultural Symbol Bangladesh holds the record for hosting the highest number of rickshaws globally, with Dhaka alone operating a significant portion daily. In 2023, UNESCO recognised rickshaws and rickshaw art as an intangible cultural heritage of Bangladesh. The growing presence of rickshaws, especially battery-run ones, calls for immediate intervention from authorities. Without effective regulation and enforcement, the situation is likely to worsen, further paralysing Dhaka’s already strained transport system.

Information Minister Hasan Mahmud has said BNP wants to hold their December 10 rally in front of party’s Nayapaltan office fearing poor turnout of people and aiming to create chaos.    Hasan Mahmud made the remark while replying to  journalists’ questions at the secretariat  on Thursday.  Read more: Govt helping BNP to make Dhaka rally a success: Info Minister He said BNP already knows that not more than 30 to 50 thousand people will attend their rally. “Even if that’s not the issue they shouldn’t hold a rally blocking a busy road,”he added. The number of people will not exceed 50,000 if they sit one the one kilometer of Nayapaltan road, said Hasan.  Read more: Country can’t be handed over to the patron of terrorists: Info Minister The government can give permission for a rally but it cannot permit holding of a rally planned to create chaos, he said. 

Disruption in power supply led to a chaotic situation in petrol pumps in Dhaka on Tuesday. According to petrol pump operators, soon after the national grid failed at 2.05 pm, many residents rushed to the petrol pumps to collect diesel to operate their generators. Read: Power supply could be restored in Dhaka by 8pm, Ctg by 9pm: Palak “But due to high demand of diesel, the sales of the petroleum finished within hours and many buyers failed to collect it”, Nazmul Haque, president of the Bangladesh Petrol Pump Owners Association, told UNB. He also said that only 25 percent of about 40 pumps in Dhaka city sell diesel while the remaining 75 percent don’t as they sell only octane and petrol. “It’s a chaos everywhere”, he said. Read: Power supply may fully be restored by 7pm today, Nasrul Hamid hopes He also said that many pumps could not collect adequate quantity of diesel from depots as some of their employees are on leave for Durga Puja. As a result, those pumps which sell diesel also failed to cope with the extra pressure, Nazmul said. Meanwhile, residents at Gulshan, Banani and Niketon areas alleged that they went to many re-fueling stations to collect diesel, but had to come back empty as the pump owners said they have no diesel in their stock.

Thousands of Afghans rushed into Kabul’s main airport Monday, some so desperate to escape the Taliban that they held onto a military jet as it took off and plunged to their deaths. At least seven people died in the chaos, U.S. officials said, as America’s longest war ended with its enemy the victor. The crowds came while the Taliban enforced their rule over the capital of 5 million people after a lightning advance across the country that took just over a week to dethrone the country’s Western-backed government. There were no major reports of abuses or fighting, but many residents stayed home and remained fearful after the insurgents’ advance saw prisons emptied and armories looted. Across the nation, the International Committee of the Red Cross warned that thousands had been wounded in fighting. Elsewhere, security forces and politicians handed over their provinces and bases without a fight, likely believing the two-decade Western experiment to remake Afghanistan would not survival the resurgent Taliban. The last American troops had planned to withdraw at the end of the month. READ: Australia sends jets to fly personnel from Kabul “The world is following events in Afghanistan with a heavy heart and deep disquiet about what lies ahead,” warned United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. As the U.S. military and others continued evacuation flights, Afghans swarmed over the international airport’s tarmac. Some climbed into aircraft parked on the taxiway, while others dangled precariously off a jet bridge. U.S. troops took positions to guard the active runway, but the crowd stormed past them and their armored vehicles. Gunshots rang out. As one U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster III tried to take off, a helicopter did low runs in front of it to try to drive people off the runway. Videos showed a group of Afghans hanging onto the plane just before takeoff and several falling through the air as the airplane rapidly gained altitude over the city. Senior American military officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing operation, told The Associated Press that the chaos left seven dead, including several who fell from the flight. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said U.S. forces killed two people he described as carrying weapons in the melee. He said 1,000 more U.S. troops would be deployed to secure the airfield and back up the 2,500 already there. All flights at the airport — both military and civilian — were halted until Afghan civilians can be cleared from the runway, Kirby added. Late Monday night, hundreds of people remained trapped between American forces trying to push them out of the airport and Taliban forces trying to keep them in, witnesses said. An Associated Press journalist also saw what appeared to be an airstrike target two vehicles near the airport. Shafi Arifi, who had a ticket to travel to Uzbekistan on Sunday, was unable to board his plane because it was packed with people who had raced across the tarmac and climbed aboard, with no police or airport staff in sight. “There was no room for us to stand,” said the 24-year-old. “Children were crying, women were shouting, young and old men were so angry and upset, no one could hear each other. There was no oxygen to breathe.” After a woman fainted and was carried off the plane, Arifi gave up and returned home. Other Afghans, like Rakhmatula Kuyash, are also trying to leave through land border crossings, all of which are now controlled by the Taliban. “I’m lost and I don’t know what to do,” said Kuyash, who crossed into Uzbekistan on Sunday after leaving his children and relatives in Afghanistan. “I left everything behind.” Others were not so lucky. Uzbekistan air defenses shot down an Afghan military aircraft that tried to enter the country without permission. The two pilots were reportedly injured and in custody. Meanwhile, President Ashraf Ghani, who earlier left the country, faced Russian allegations he fled Kabul with four cars and a helicopter full of cash. His whereabouts remained unclear. The U.S. Embassy has been evacuated and the American flag lowered, with diplomats relocating to the airport to help with the evacuation. Other Western countries also closed their missions and were flying out staff and their citizens. In interviews with U.S. television networks, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan blamed the Afghan military for the Taliban’s rapid takeover, saying it lacked the will to fight. READ: Afghan president flees the country as Taliban move on Kabul However, the ease with which the Taliban took control goes beyond military prowess, the Texas-based private intelligence firm Stratfor wrote. “The speed of the Taliban’s final advance suggests less military dominance than effective political insurgency coupled with an incohesive Afghan political system and security force struggling with flagging morale,” it said. The Taliban offensive through the country stunned American officials. Just days before the insurgents entered Kabul with little if any resistance, a U.S. military assessment predicted it could take months for the capital to fall. The rout threatened to erase 20 years of Western efforts to remake Afghanistan that saw tens of thousands of Afghans killed as well as more than 3,500 U.S. and allied troops. The initial invasion in 2001 drove the Taliban from power and scattered al-Qaida, which had planned the 9/11 attacks while being sheltered in Afghanistan. Under the Taliban, which ruled in accordance with a harsh interpretation of Islamic law, women were largely confined to their homes and suspected criminals faced amputation or public execution. The insurgents have sought to project greater moderation in recent years, but many Afghans remain skeptical. Journalists so far have been able to work, though Taliban militants visited the private satellite channel Tolo TV looking for “government-issued weapons,” said station owner Saad Mohsini. Some militants put on Afghan military uniforms and began doing patrols, arresting suspected robbers. Filippo Grandi, the United Nations’ High Commissioner for Refugees, separately described interactions with the Taliban as “relatively positive.” On Monday, Nillan, a 27-year-old resident of Kabul who asked to be identified only by her first name for fear of reprisals, said she did not see a single woman out on the streets during a 15-minute drive, “only men and boys.” “It feels like time has stopped. Everything’s changed,” she told the AP. She added: “It feels like our life and our future has ended.”

Four people died as supporters of President Donald Trump violently occupied the U.S. Capitol.

Squabbling Afghan presidential rivals threatened to both declare themselves president in dueling inauguration ceremonies Monday, throwing plans for negotiations with the Taliban into chaos.