Staff Reporter :
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Monday allowed the three wheeler Easy Bikes to use all the roads across the country, except the highways.
A three-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order modifying a High Court directive.
Following a writ petition a High Court bench on December 15, 2021, directed the authorities concerned to identify all illegal and unauthorized three wheeler Easy Bikes running across the country and to take necessary steps to remove the same from the road. The HC bench also issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the in action of the authorities in restraining the import of three wheeler Easy Bikes and its manufacturing in the country should not be declared illegal.
Later representatives of the Bangladesh Electric Three-Wheeler Manufacturing and Merchant Association, including its President Kamal Uddin Ahmed and Secretary Md Ahsan Samad, filed a leave to appeal petition with the Appellate Division seeking modification of the High Court order.
After hearing the petition, the apex court brought modification in the High Court order. The apex court also asked the parties to take initiatives for holding the rule hearing in the High Court expeditiously.
Barrister Tania Amir, one of the counsels of the appeal petitioners, said, “According to the government policy, Easy Bikes cannot run on the highways. The Appellate Division has modified the High Court order as per the government policy. Now the Easy Bikes can ply on the other roads except the highways.”
“Most of the Easy Bikes in our country use acid battery. The writ petitioner said that the acid batteries are harmful for the environment. But the owners of the Easy Bikes are running the vehicles on the roads with the government permission.”
“Upgraded lithium technology batteries have flooded the market. But it will take time to adopt with the new technology. That is not possible overnight. Writ petitioner intentionally filed the writ petition to expand his personal business,” added the lawyer.
Advocate Atique Towhidul Islam who appeared in the High Court hearing for the writ petitioner told the reporters that the Easy Bikes were running illegally charged with battery connection. These Easy Bikes are harmful to the environment as well for human body.
These bikes are plying in the roads without taking road permit and the government is not getting any revenue from this sector, he noted.
Kazi Zashimul Islam, President of Bagh Eco Motors Limited, filed the writ petition with the HC on December 13 seeking its directives in this regard.
