Citizens unite against oppression by rickshaw-pullers

Have you been exposed to the most common and egregious form of oppression on Dhaka streets? 

Have these oppressors looked you dead in the eye, pausing only to wipe the sweat from their own eyes, and attempted to fleece you?

Have you been embarrassed that they talked back to you in front of your girlfriend?

If your answer to any or all of the above is yes, Citizens Unite against Rickshaw-puller Oppression is the group for you.

We meet every Thursday to offer support to fellow sufferers who have had to bear the brunt of the blatantly exploitative behaviour of rickshaw-pullers.

The following are statements of some of our existing members:

"I was looking for a rickshaw from Karwan Bazar to Dhanmondi-8, and I was already in a bad mood because it was very hot. At the end of the journey, the rickshaw-puller asked for Tk 80! Can you believe it? Tk 80! I nearly dropped my S23 Ultra."

-          Jabbar Gabbar

"My girlfriend and I were going through the alleys of Dhanmondi because she wanted a romantic rickshaw ride to KFC. All good, but halfway through the ride through tree-shaded, lake-hugged roads, a motorcycle cut us off and the blasted puller swerved violently, causing my girlfiriend and myself to have to step down from the rickshaw before it fell.

"So, I did what any red-blooded boyfriend would do. I waited for the rickshaw-puller to get off the ground and shouted at him. Imagine my surprise when he actually let go of a string of expletives. Needless to say, my day was ruined. She wasn't too impressed that I was told off by a rickshaw-puller … it didn't matter that I slapped him thrice."

-          Salim Halim

"So I was coming back home to Banani from Gulshan, and I paid the rickshaw-puller the Tk 60 he wanted. I never argue with them, and I even thought about give him Tk 10 extra as it was raining. But then he told me a sob story about how his daughter was ill and he had to muster up Tk 1,500 for treatment. I mean, can't you even come home without being defrauded! And he even worked up the fake tears. Come on!"

-          Hasan Pashan

If you are interested to join the group, we can arrange rickshaws to bring you to the meeting place. Don't worry, if they get up to any hanky panky, you will have arrived at the right place with the right people to deal with them.