The battery-operated three-wheeled illegal auto-rickshaws have clogged the main roads of Moulvibazar city and Oligoli of Hatbazar. Although the number of pedal-powered rickshaws in the city is decreasing day by day, the number of battery-operated rickshaws is increasing. It is difficult to get an accurate count of how many battery-powered rickshaws there are. However, the rate at which rickshaws are plying on the roads every moment, it is estimated that at least 3 to 4 thousand illegal pedal-driven auto-rickshaws are running in the city. At least 2 to 3 times more rickshaws entered the city in August and September alone. Countless rickshaws enter the city every day from different upazilas of the district. Even from Habiganj district. Such information came up in the investigation. The speed of these three-wheeled vehicles is much higher than pedal-driven rickshaws, so there is a risk of accident at any time. Drivers don’t have skills. Because of this, accidents on the roads were also increasing.

On the ground, it can be seen that a large number of battery-operated rickshaws are now plying on every street of the city as before. Many people choose these vehicles to save time by avoiding other vehicles, including tomtoms and pedal rickshaws. These rickshaws collide with CNG auto-rickshaws and move at high speed on the road, sometimes losing control. On the way, many drivers cover the part of the rickshaw that has a battery on it with a sack to avoid the eyes of the police. So that it does not understand that it is a battery-powered rickshaw. Many times without seeing the right and left or without following any kind of signal, the rickshaw reverses while moving everywhere on one foot. The passengers sustained injuries after the accident. Visiting different garages in the city, it is known that the garages are empty due to the movement of rickshaws during the day. Drivers go around the city all day and take them to the garage at night and work there all night. In the morning, the drivers return to their vehicles. This is their daily routine.

Zakir Mia, a battery-operated rickshaw driver in the Kazirgaon neighborhood of the city, claimed that despite the fact that it is against the law to operate these vehicles in the city, his stomach forces him to do so. I have a foot issue that prevents me from riding a pedal rickshaw. The rickshaw driver claims that he operates the vehicle under an association and receives a monthly fee. For this purpose, a card is also included. Approximately 300 battery-powered rickshaws are owned by the association.

Sumon Miah, a battery-operated autorickshaw driver, acknowledged that it is against the law to run a three-wheeler on public roads. He explained, “I used to work as a mason before, so now I drive an auto-rickshaw, and at the end of the day, I earn

According to sources, these rickshaw garages are located in Borhat, Dhaka Bus Stand, Badkapan, Raghunandanpur, Dharkapan, Samshernagar Road, Kazirgaon and Chubda areas of Moulvibazar city. Each rickshaw is given at least 5 to 6 hours of fodder at night in these garages. These vehicles are operated by batteries and the batteries have to be charged after a few hours. A part of the electricity generated in this battery-operated rickshaw goes into the stomach every day. Generally, 4 batteries of 12 volts are required to run a battery-powered rickshaw. Talking to the officials of the Palli Bidyut Samity, it was revealed that the electricity consumption per month for each set of battery charge is from 300 to a maximum of 400 units. Accordingly, about 3 lakh to a maximum of 4 lakh units of electricity are going in the stomach of a thousand rickshaws per month. On average, each rickshaw requires at least 3 kWh of electricity per month. All 1,000 milli-kilowatt rickshaws consume 3,000 kilowatts of electricity per month. However, as the number of rickshaws in the city has increased several times in the last few months, the level of electricity consumption will also be much higher.

“We have not received any complaints regarding the provision of fodder through illicit connections,” stated Mohammad Ziaul Islam, general manager of the zonal office of Moulvibazar Palli Bidyut Samity. If a complaint is received, action will be taken. According to him, Moulvibazar Sadar’s Nazirabad union has already cut off two connections for supplying fodder through illicit means.

Meanwhile, electric e-bikes are not operating on the city’s main roads, in addition to the unlawful battery-powered autorickshaws. The public can purchase these motorcycles.

According to Moulvibazar traffic police inspector (TI admin) Marikul Islam, rickshaws are not legally permitted to operate in the city. Since their association wrote a memorandum with requests to the deputy commissioner, no action is now being done against them, despite the fact that a case was previously filed against them. As of yet, no decision has been made on that. I’m awaiting the outcome. “We don’t have the exact figures, but the association can say how many rickshaws are plying,” he said when asked how many rickshaws were operating in the city.

In response to a question, Mallika Dey, the administrator of the Moulvibazar Municipality, stated that the problem of battery-powered autorickshaws will soon be addressed.

In this regard, Deputy Commissioner Md. Israil Hossain said action will be taken after talking to everyone, including the municipality, about battery-operated auto-rickshaws, including easing traffic congestion.