Bike riders will march to Baridhara, one of the ‘posh’ areas in Dhaka, today protesting at a reported ban imposed a few weeks back on lungi-clad rickshaw pullers in the area.
BD Cyclists, a Dhaka-based bike riders’ association, will organise the ride to begin at 4:00pm from Manik Miah Avenue in front of Jatiya Sansad Bhaban.‘It is a peaceful demonstration against the perception of the so-called elite group of our society about the working class,’ said Mozammel Haque, one of the organisers of the ride.
‘This is not acceptable at all as the decision of imposing ban on lungi originated from class hatred,’ he said.
Besides, authorities like Baridhara Society cannot impose a dress code up on a free worker as he is not creating any nuisance through it, Mozammel said.
It has been reported that private security men had stopped rickshaws run by a lungi-clad rickshaw puller in the area and thus obstructed passengers’ free movement across Baridhara.
On Wednesday, Baridhara Society president Feroz M Hassan claimed that the authorities did not impose any ban on lungi-clad rickshaw pullers.
In a note on Baridhara Society’s facebook account, Feroz wrote, ‘There are no restrictions on rickshaw drivers wearing lungi in Baridhara. We sincerely regret if any such incident happened where incoming rickshaw driver with lungi was restricted by the guards.’
In the note, Firoz also said the Baridhara Society had also sent a rejoinder to the national dailiy which had published a report saying the society had imposed a ban on lungi-clad rickshaw puller.
Feroz, however, could not be reached for comment over phone.
-With New Age input
