Many Dhaka commuters have called for boycotting the CNG-run three-wheelers in reaction to the autorickshaw drivers' strike threat and demand for taking the app-based transport services like Uber and Pathao off the road.
Many daily users of these app-based services have flooded the social media with angry posts suggesting the autorickshaw drivers had held the commuters hostage until the app-based services came to the city.
Many others are also uploading posts on the wall f their own page, complaining of harassment and extra fare charged by the autorickshaw drivers.
At a press conference on Wednesday, the autorickshaw drivers announced a month-long protest to press for allocation of new vehicles and cancellation of app-based transport services in Dhaka and Chittagong in a list demands.
They will go on strike for 48 hours from Nov 27 to press home the demands, according to the Dhaka and Chittagong chapters of CNG Autorickshaw Workers' Unity Council.
In the announcement, the group also threatened a nonstop strike in the two cities if their demands are not met by Jan 15.
One Khalid Maruf wrote: "It seems people have no sympathy for the striking autorickshaw drivers."
"It is quite justifiable that no one has any sympathy for them," Kabir Mohammad Shahidul Islam commented on Maruf's post.
"The people have shown them the red card," one Iskander Mirza commented Somik Odhipoti expressed anger towards the owners and drivers of autorickshaws in his post: "Many will be happy to see these (autorickshaws) are removed from the city. How much rich will they get by stealing our money?"
Emdadul Haque, a resident of Mohakhali, thinks the protest by the autorickshaw drivers mainly aim at stopping the app-based ride services.
"Autorickshaw drivers now have to charge less than before after the launching of the Uber and Pathao," he told.
"Their behaviour has also changed. They may be speaking about eight demands, but they have only one target stopping the app-based services, as per bdnews24.com.
"Their behaviour has also changed. They may be speaking about eight demands, but they have only one target -- stopping the app-based services.
"But, I want the government to give permission to the app-based transporters and make a guideline on those quickly. This will stop the harassment by the autorickshaw drivers gradually," he said.
Mahmud Hasan Sajeeb wrote on the page, 'Uber Users of Bangladesh', "Let's stand against the autorickshaw drivers who charge three to four times more than the actual fare.
"The time to be hostages has ended. Let's boycott autorickshaws," he wrote.
One Nahid Muhammad suggested including the autorickshaws to an app-based service.
"Autocrickshaws can be added along with motorcycles and cars to the app-based services. Those providing the services with bikes or cars won't be harmed," he wrote on 'Pathao Users of Bangladesh' page.
Dhaka District Autorickshaw, Tempu, Mishuk Workers' Union General Secretary Golam Faruq said they were suffering losses due to the app-based services.
"They are making trips with their private cars. That's illegal. There is no guideline on this," he said.
Autorickshaw owners also agree with the drivers' demand for closing the app-based services.
"Most of their (drivers') demands are baseless. But it's true that Uber and Pathao are causing us losses," Dhaka City CNG Autorickshaw Owners' Unity Council Convenor Barkat Ullah Bulu said.
CNG Autorickshaw Workers' Unity Council leader Shakhawat Hossain Dulal, however, said the demand for stopping the app-based services was not the main one.
"Our main demand is to replace the old autorickshaws and allocation of 9,000 more vehicles among us. The demand for closing the app-based services was our third demand," he said.
"Now, this demand has been brought to the focus, and this has covered our main demand. This is damaging our movement," he added.
