Local Government Division officials admitted that they are allotting the seized rickshaws according to recommendations from ministers and MPs. With the parliamentary election round the corner, the lawmakers are now applying for more rickshaws, sources said.

Officials of the Traffic Department of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said the government has so far allotted 40,000 rickshaws while the Rickshaw Van Malik Sramik Shangram Parishad (RVMSSP) claimed the government has handed over 50,000 rickshaws to the BNP and Jamaat lawmakers and ministers.

Sources said the lawmakers apply for allotment of the seized rickshaws through the office of deputy commissioners in their respective constituencies. The Dhaka Divisional Commissioner's office received a large number of such applications, though they do not have more than 500 rickshaws at the dumping station at Agargaon.

"Most of the rickshaws have already been sent to districts on recommendations by the ministers and MPs. But we are allotting the rickshaws only in favour of deputy commissioners as per a government decision," said an official.

A source at the dumping station said as the lawmakers have already started campaign for the next election they want more rickshaws to be allotted for their constituencies. "They are now pressuring the police to seize more illegal rickshaws."

Safiqul Islam, general secretary of Pirojpur district Jamaat-e-Islami, said Delwar Hossain Sayedee, the Jamaat lawmaker of Pirojpur-1 constituency, arranged an allotment of 700 rickshaws. He however received 400 in three instalments. All these rickshaws have been distributed among the poor people through local leaders.

Insur Ali, member secretary of Rickshaw Van Malik Sramik Sangram Parishad, said seized rickshaws are being used for buying votes ahead of election.

"We have demanded that the seizure of rickshaws and harassment of the poor rickshaw-pullers should be stopped and the authorities must increase the number of authorised rickshaws in the city. But nothing happened in favour of the rickshaw-pullers. Now the politicians are using the seized rickshaws for their election campaign," he said.

The Dhaka City Corporation has licensed 79,000 rickshaws in the city. It is estimated that over 400,000 rickshaws are operating illegally in the metropolis. Over a million people, most of them migrating from impoverished northern regions are directly involved with rickshaw pulling in the city.