JMBF Expresses Grave Concern over the Arrest and Rapid Sentencing and Calls for Their Immediate Release and an End to the Harassment of Rickshaw Workers
According to media reports and JMBF’s own reliable sources, on Thursday, 1 October 2026, police arrested four leaders of the Battery-Run Rickshaw Owners-Workers’ Unity Council in the Sabujbagh area of the capital. Those arrested and subsequently sentenced have been identified as Md. Akbar Hossain (70), Md. Yasin (28), Md. Sentu (32), and Md. Abdur Rahim (55). Akbar Hossain has been identified in media reports as the president of the organisation’s Sabujbagh unit, while Yasin is reportedly his son.
The arrests reportedly took place during an operation concerning the disconnection of electricity from charging points used for battery-run rickshaws. According to an account provided by the traffic police, the four men allegedly obstructed an operation to disconnect electricity from what the authorities described as illegal charging points.
The following day, Friday, 2 October 2026, the four arrested men were produced before the Special Metropolitan Magistrate Court of the Motijheel Division, where the court sentenced each of them to six months’ rigorous imprisonment.
JMBF is particularly concerned about the exceptionally rapid progression from arrest to conviction and the imposition of a substantial custodial sentence. The fact that the four individuals were arrested on 1 October and reportedly sentenced to six months’ rigorous imprisonment the following day raises serious questions warranting scrutiny regarding their access to adequate legal representation, sufficient time and facilities to prepare a defence, and the overall observance of fair-trial and due-process safeguards.
The Battery-Run Rickshaw and Easy-Bike Owners-Workers’ Unity Council has rejected the action taken against its leaders and maintained that the four were punished despite being innocent. On 5 October 2026, owners, drivers, and workers demonstrated in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka, demanding their unconditional release and an end to what they described as unjust eviction operations and police harassment of battery-run rickshaw workers.
JMBF recognises the legitimate authority of the State to regulate traffic, electricity use, and public safety. However, enforcement measures must be carried out lawfully and proportionately, without undermining fundamental rights. Regulatory enforcement concerning battery-run rickshaws or electricity connections must not be used to subject workers, owners, or their representatives to arbitrary detention, disproportionate punishment, intimidation, or denial of due process.
Advocate Shahanur Islam, Founder President of JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), said:
“The arrest of four representatives of battery-run rickshaw owners and workers and their sentencing to six months’ rigorous imprisonment within approximately one day raise serious concerns about due process and proportionality. Regulation of urban transport or electricity use cannot justify depriving anyone of fundamental fair-trial guarantees. We call upon the authorities to ensure their immediate release, subject the proceedings to an independent and transparent review, and ensure that the legitimate concerns and livelihoods of rickshaw workers are addressed through dialogue rather than punitive measures.”
JMBF Calls Upon the Government of Bangladesh to:
- Ensure the immediate release of Md. Akbar Hossain, Md. Yasin, Md. Sentu, and Md. Abdur Rahim, and ensure access to effective legal remedies against their convictions and sentences;
- Conduct an independent and transparent review of the circumstances surrounding their arrest, prosecution, and rapid sentencing, including whether all applicable fair-trial and due-process safeguards were fully respected;
- Ensure that the four individuals have effective access to legal counsel, their case records, and meaningful opportunities to challenge their convictions and sentences before a competent court;
- Ensure that any enforcement measures relating to battery-run rickshaws and charging facilities are lawful, necessary, proportionate, and non-discriminatory and do not result in arbitrary detention, excessive punishment, or harassment;
- End any unlawful harassment, intimidation, or arbitrary detention of battery-run rickshaw drivers, owners, workers, and their representatives for exercising their legitimate rights and raising livelihood-related concerns;
- Initiate meaningful dialogue with representatives of battery-run rickshaw owners and workers to develop a rights-respecting, safe, and sustainable regulatory framework that takes into account road safety, electricity management, and the livelihoods of thousands of low-income workers; and
- Ensure full respect for Bangladesh’s obligations under international human rights law, particularly the rights to liberty, due process, a fair trial, freedom of association, and peaceful assembly.
JMBF further urges the relevant authorities to recognise that disputes concerning urban transport regulation and electricity use should primarily be addressed through transparent regulation, consultation, and proportionate enforcement rather than measures that may unnecessarily criminalise economically vulnerable workers and their representatives.
JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) will continue to monitor the situation, including the legal status of the four imprisoned leaders and the authorities’ response to the demands raised by battery-run rickshaw owners and workers.
In Solidarity,
Ms. Jannatul Ferdous
Assistant Secretary General
JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF)
CNB premises
180 Boulevard Haussmann, 75008 Paris, France
Email: info@jmbf.org | Website: www.jmbf.org
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JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan international human rights organization registered in France under the French Association Law of 1901 (Registration No. W931027714), committed to defending human rights, promoting social justice, and empowering communities in Bangladesh and beyond. JMBF is officially registered in the European Union Transparency Register (REG No. 0635235105176-78).
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