50 affected owners get CNG auto-rickshaws

A total of 35,000 two-stroke vehicle owners lost their licenses in August 2002 under a government decision to ban two-stroke vehicles from the capital and incurred a lose of around Tk 600 crore, said Mokhlesur Rahman, member secretary of Dhaka Auto-tempo Auto- Rickshaw Auto-Truck Owners-Workers Okkya Parishad at the ownership hand-over ceremony at Motijheel International Bus Terminal in the city.

He also alleged that Communication Minister Barrister Nazmul Huda at that time promised to give 500 four-stroke CNG auto rickshaws to the owners with the help of bank loan, who suffered the huge lose. But in three years the minister did not fulfil his promise.

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Addressing at the occasion Fazlul Haque, convenor of Okkya Parishad, demanded the promised 450 four-stroke CNG vehicles otherwise they will launch a tougher movement to press home their demand.

Now, about 13,000 CNG driven three-wheeler vehicles run in the city under private ownership, which cost more than Tk three lakh each.

BRTC Chairman Taimur Alam Khandakar presided over the ceremony.