Dhaka, Bangladesh – The air crackled with stress in Mouchak, a central district of Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka. It was Friday, July 19, and the streets have been already full of tens of 1000’s of protesters, their fury heightened by the lethal occasions of the day past. A brutal police crackdown and clashes with activists of the governing Awami League party had claimed the lives of dozens of scholars, pushing the town to its limits.
The standard tranquility of the weekly Jummah prayer, a time for Muslim peaceable reflection, was hours away. Proper then, the ambiance was charged with unrest. Police, overwhelmed and outnumbered, retreated amid a barrage of stones, utilizing tear fuel and sound grenades in a determined bid to take care of management amid mounting chaos.
A bunch of rickshaw pullers discovered themselves caught within the fray. A tear fuel shell flew in the direction of them, prompting a hasty retreat in the direction of the close by Malibagh Circle, a bustling avenue. Their retreat was accompanied by defiant voices raised in protest in opposition to the authorities: “If something occurs to us [rickshaw pullers], we are going to ignite fires in each home!”
Amongst them was Shaheen, initially from Cumilla district some 180km (112 miles) away.
“It was a horrifying scene,” he recounted, his voice trembling, the reminiscence nonetheless vivid in his thoughts. “The police have been firing on the protesters, who have been retaliating by throwing stones. I managed to flee unhurt by pedalling my rickshaw as quick as doable to save lots of my life.”
But, the rickshaw pullers didn’t simply escape — they saved lives as Bangladesh descended into the bloodiest clashes it has seen in years. What had begun as a student-led protest for quota reforms in authorities jobs had erupted right into a nationwide upheaval, fuelled by escalating violence and broader frustrations with the federal government. In a span of simply 5 days, from July 16 to July 20, Bangladesh descended into turmoil. No less than 197 folks have been killed amid widespread protests and a harsh crackdown by regulation enforcement forces.
Following the deaths of quite a few protesters on July 18, tensions soared, prompting the federal government to take drastic measures: an web shutdown that it blamed on “terrorist actions focusing on information centres and ISP cables”, and after recent clashes on July 19 by which not less than 56 extra folks have been killed, a nationwide curfew that it solely started to calm down this week.
By all of it, the town’s defiant rickshaw pullers have been out on the streets.
‘I didn’t cost any fare’
An estimated 400,000 to 600,000 rickshaws navigate the town’s thoroughfares on any given day. The protests, the shutdown of companies and the following, strictly enforced curfew dealt a devastating blow to their earnings: Shaheen’s earnings plummeted to 150 taka ($1.28), — in comparison with the 800-1000 taka ($6.8 to $8.5) he normally earns — barely sufficient to cowl the 120 taka ($1) hire owed to the rickshaw proprietor.
However staying at dwelling amid the mayhem on the streets wasn’t an possibility.
“What good is worry if we die of starvation?” requested Shahabuddin, a younger rickshaw puller supporting his mom and sibling after his father’s passing. Venturing out amid the clashes was a matter of survival. “We courageous the violence as a result of we’re hungry,” he stated. “What’s using residing if I’ve to see tears in my mom’s eyes because of starvation?”
On July 19, that survival intuition additionally helped save many others.
Swapan, a rickshaw puller from the northern district of Mehendiganj, transported a person bleeding from bullet wounds within the Banasree space of southern Dhaka.
“I took him so far as the Goran Tempo Stand, however he was bleeding profusely,” Swapan recalled. “I suggested his companions to search out an autorickshaw to get him to the hospital shortly since rickshaws are too sluggish. I didn’t cost any fare for it.”
In Mohammadpur, Kashem, a rickshaw puller, undertook not less than 5 journeys to close by hospitals, transporting injured college students and civilians. “Folks have been wielding sticks and hurling bricks, however the police fired reside bullets, inflicting quite a few accidents. I took it upon myself to ferry them to hospitals,” he stated.
Like Shahabuddin, Kashem stated that he couldn’t afford to remain at dwelling regardless of the chance of stepping out within the violence, as his household relied on his every day earnings.
A metropolis recovering
By Monday afternoon, as the town remained tense, Shahabuddin had earned a mere 50 taka ($0.43), lower than the hire he owed for his rickshaw.
He recounted a harrowing incident in Banasree, the place he discovered himself trapped in a violent conflict on Monday, saved solely by the intervention of fellow rickshaw pullers.
“There was firing from police and activists of the ruling get together, and I used to be caught in the course of the highway. I couldn’t abandon my rickshaw as that will have meant owing a big sum to the proprietor. All of the sudden, a number of fellow rickshaw pullers arrived and helped me attain security.”
However the worry and exhaustion have taken a toll.
Zahangir, a rickshaw puller, braved the streets for 3 days through the protests. Hours of pedaling, evading tear fuel and confrontations, have left him drained and disheartened. “My face felt prefer it was on fireplace, tears streaming down,” stated.
Now the standoff should finish, stated Shaheen, one other rickshaw puller. “This can’t proceed indefinitely,” he stated. “The lives of odd folks like us have been placed on maintain. We search peace.”
*The final names of the rickshaw pullers have been withheld to guard their identities.
