Private autorickshaws ineligible to run in Dhaka, High Court rules

Only green-coloured autorickshaws used commercially are eligible to run on the streets of Dhaka, the High Court has ruled.

It means no private autorickshaw coloured ash will be allowed in the capital, lawyers said after the panel of Justice JBM Hassan and Md Khairul Alam dismissed the court’s previous rule on Tuesday.

The court had issued the rule in 2016 following a writ petition filed by Md Delwar Hossain, the treasurer of of CNG Autorickshaw Owners’ Welfare Association.

Lawyers Md Khurshid Alam and Moniruzzaman stood for the petitioner at the hearing while Rafiul Islam represented the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority or BRTA.

Lawyer Masud Hasan Chowdhury Parag appeared for the roads and communications secretary.

The latest ruling has rendered void the previous directive to allow commercial use of the private autorickshaws, Rafiul said.

Moniruzzaman said the court was not interested in interfering in the government’s policy on the matter.

Petitioner Delwar said he would challenge the ruling in the Supreme Court.