Dhaka, May 1 -- It is no exaggeration to call Dhaka the 'City of Rickshaws', as its streets are crowded with rickshaws, transporting schoolchildren, office workers, shoppers and busy passengers every day.

Yet, despite their ubiquity, there remains a puzzling question: how many rickshaws actually operate on Dhaka's streets?

78 battery-run autorickshaws seized during DNCC drive at Mirpur

No Definite Answer from Authorities

In an intriguing twist, no authority - be it city corporations, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), the traffic police, or research organisations - seems to have an exact figure on the number of rickshaws plying the city's streets.

Official Numbers vs. Reality: A Stark Mismatch

According to Dhaka South C...