According to the latest statistics of DCC, there are 79,616 legal licences for rickshaws, 7,916 for rickshaw vans and 120 for push carts but at present at least three lakh unauthorised rickshaws, 50,000 vans and 20,000 push carts are plying the city streets.

DCC is the lone licensing authority for all types of non-motorised transports, but around two lakh rickshaws are plying with fake tokens and number plates issued by those so-called workers' associations or duplicate number plates supplied by the DCC staff.

At least five such associations in collusion with the unscrupulous DCC employees are doing the business of illegal rickshaws and vans in the city. They are duplicating the number plates and operating 8 to 10 rickshaws with a single number plate.

Slow-moving non-motorised vehicles are mainly responsible for the severe traffic congestion in the city where streets are always crammed with rickshaws and vans. The influx of illegal rickshaws is intensifying the traffic congestion.

A high official of the traffic department of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) blamed DCC for the situation. "If DCC sincerely wants to stop plying of illegal rickshaws, it is possible in one month," the official said on condition of anonymity.

Sources said the unscrupulous DCC employees and association leaders have amassed crores of taka by selling fake licences to the rickshaw owners. They sell number plates at Tk 500 each, but the rate increases up to Tk 2,000 when the demand is high.

Besides, some dishonest persons are also duplicating the number plates individually and selling those to rickshaw and van owners, the sources added.

Whenever the authorities take steps against those illegal rickshaws, the associations go to court and file cases in the name of 'protecting the poor rickshawpullers.'

Bangladesh Rickshaw and Van Malik Sramik Sangram Parishad has been issuing tokens and number plates since 1997. At least, 50,000 rickshaws are using its number plates.

Other organisations such as Muktijoddha Punarbashon Kalyan Bahumukhi Samabay Samity and Dhaka City Corporation Rickshaw Malik Samity are operating more than 80,000 rickshaws without the legal licences from DCC.

Besides, Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Rickshaw-Van Malik-Sramik Samonnoy Parishad and Bangladesh Rickshaw and Van Chalok Sramik Federation are also providing tokens and number plates for illegal rickshaws.

These organisations have strong backing of political parties, including the ruling BNP and the main opposition Awami League. The DCC hardly take any action against them.

Azar Ali, joint convenor of the Bangladesh Rickshaw-Van Malik Sramik Sangram Parishad, admitted the fact that they issue tokens and number plates for rickshaws. But he claimed that they are doing this with the permission from the authorities.

"We have meetings with the DCC and the DMP traffic department and demanded that 43,000 more rickshaws will ply taking our tokens and number plates until the issuance of new licences by DCC. But DCC is yet to respond to our demand," he said.

According to DCC's 'wheel tax' section, 28 registered organisations are operating in the name of rickshaw and rickshaw-van owners' and workers' associations.

In October last year DMP observed a traffic month to improve traffic management and seized several thousand illegal rickshaws in the city. But sources said most of the illegal rickshaws were kept off the road during the month to avoid seizure.

The number of illegal rickshaws increases before Eid every year as hundreds of poor people rush to the city from villages and most of them become 'seasonal' rickshawpullers.

Syed Jahangir, deputy taxation officer of DCC, admitted the fact that thousands of illegal rickshaws ply the city streets. He said: "When the traffic department conducts drive to seize illegal rickshaws, we help them in identifying those."

But Jahangir replied in the negative when asked about the allegation of DCC employees' involvement in the duplication of tokens and number plates for rickshaws and vans.

About the issuance of new licences, a DCC official said during the tenure of the previous government, the Prime Minister's Office had directed the DCC not to grant any new licences to rickshaws and vans in the city. The present government is following this directive.