Wheels of injustice: Does Dhaka North prey on poor, but relent on rich

Videos depicting the crushing of the only means of livelihood of rickshaw-pullers were met with an almost distasteful glee among a pretty vocal majority.

Seeing the dreams, aspirations and hopes of bringing home food to family evaporate in seconds was met with cheers and joy.

"Well deserved", one commenter on social media said.

One of the victims even asked the authorities present how he would feed his children. Silence was the only answer.

When the criticism trickled in, Dhaka North Administrator Mohammad Azaz, who came up with the iron-fist solution was quick to apologise: he said the three battery-run rickshaws which had fallen prey to Dhaka North's ire would be compensated.

He didn't mention whose money would be used for such a compensation or what the amount would be. Would the taxpayers foot the bill? If yes, why should they?

This was seemingly becoming the classic case of a high school bully running to their parents when confronting the consequences of their actions.

This isn't to say that the Dhaka North's intentions were malicious. Far from it. Battery-run rickshaws have become quite the nuisance on Dhaka roads – mostly for the upper and middle class.

But the nuisance has extended to lower income earners as well. These vehicles, completely unauthorised and unregulated, have led to numerous accidents, deaths and even expensive damages to cars – apparently the most important of the infractions.

The authorities have banned the operations of the battery-run rickshaws on main roads, often called VIP Roads, in case you misunderstand the country's numerous class markers.

But deaths, accidents, lack of regulation and even causing damages to others isn't exclusive to battery-run rickshaws.

Dhaka's buses are infamous for the exact same things. But so are the many motorcycles and the one that goes under the radar most often, consciously at that, private cars.

A number of roads in Dhaka are severely congested only for errantly parked private cars lining the roads.

Cars, and their owners, seemingly hold the belief that their ability to purchase a vehicle, often using a loan, gives them some sort of immunity from road rules.

And the bigger the car, the bigger the ego becomes.

The VIP culture, even in the new Bangladesh prevails, with large SUVs blocking traffic so the sirs and madams of Dhaka can move in peace.

They park where they want, stop where they want and even drive where they want.

The same is the case for motorcyclists. It's not a brand new issue either. The complaints about motorcyclists and their ways have grown deafening.

Then there are the buses.

The Dhaka North administrator, some three months ago, had also promised to fix the capital's road system and bring buses under the law of the land.

To this end, the body hyped and launched a Pink Bus programme, which would see the bus system in the capital completely transformed.

That programme, as far as the eye test goes if nothing else, has been a spectacular failure.

Bus owners could care less what the Dhaka North wants or doesn't.

Buses continue to speed and kill. Cars continue to do the same.

But what does our government, the one of the people, decide to do? Kick down, of course. The poor are always the easiest prey.

The treatment when it comes to the rich and the poor is glaringly disproportionate and it has always been so.

But then again, the government is a reflection of our people and cursory glances at how many perceive the rickshaw wrecking can explain why those in power may have seen it as a win of sorts.

The previous AL government had also tried to ban the battery-run rickshaws. They had failed and gave in to protest.

This government has now turned to a scare tactic. But it's a strange one – will they always waste taxpayers money when they suddenly feel emboldened to teach the poor a lesson?

There's an old adage whispered in Dhaka streets: the man on the car blames the rickshaw, the passenger on the rickshaw blames the motorcycles, the motorcyclist blames the CNG-run auto rickshaws who then blame the buses. It's a cycle that changes depending on which mode of transport you use.

But what if those governing us have forgotten what it's like to use public transport, if they had ever used it.

Is our crackdown elitist or have our governments always been so?

As three men cry unable to feed their kids, we mull existential questions like they mean anything in comparison.

What a world to live in.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.