The World Bicycle Day 2024 was celebrated in Dhaka

June 3, 2024, was World Bicycle Day.

Bicycle is an easy, affordable, reliable, clean and environmentally friendly sustainable mode of transportation. For the past two centuries, it has been widely used as an everyday vehicle by regular people because of its unique qualities, durability, long lifespan, and versatile usability.

Vehicles have been created over time for people to travel. As eras change, old vehicles disappear when new ones are invented and improved. However, the bicycle is the only exception, as it still exists. The bicycle is the only human vehicle that has stayed popular for the past 200 years.

The popularity and use of this vehicle have not decreased. Instead, its popularity, use, and versatility are increasing every day. In recognition of this, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 3 as World Bicycle Day in April 2018.

The day aims to promote the various benefits of cycling, including strengthening education, promoting endurance, preventing disease, encouraging physical activity and facilitating social inclusion. In today’s mechanized and online media era, cycling can play a leading role in alleviating growing concerns about lack of space and opportunities for physical activity, environmental pollution and associated health risks.

A clean, affordable and environmentally friendly mode of transportation is an easy way. World Bicycle Day promotes the use of bicycles to help preserve clean air and nature, effectively addressing both health and environmental issues.

This year the theme of World Bicycle Day is “Promoting Health, Equity, and Sustainability through Cycling.”

In Bangladesh, people from environmental and social groups, educational institutions, and cycling organizations gathered at Abahani playground in Dhanmondi, the capital, to celebrate the day with a short discussion at 7:30 am. Following the discussion, a bicycle rally took place from Abahani field to Shankar bus stand through Dhanmondi 3/A road.

The organizations celebrating the day are Rayer Bazar High School, Dhaka Ideal Cadet School, Dhanmondi Kachikanth High School, Bengali Medium High School, Confidence Memorial High School, Dhanmondi Tourism Cyclist, Chayatal Bangladesh, Female Cyclists of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Cycle Lane Bastabayne Parished, Surya Shishir Runners Community, Lal Sabuj Society, Healthy Living Bangladesh, Institute of Wellbeing Bangladesh and Trust (Work for a Better Bangladesh). In addition to World Bicycle Day 2024, Bangladesh also organized a program called “Cycling for Cooler Cities” to promote cycling during the celebration.

The entire Southeast Asia, including Bangladesh, is burning with a severe heat wave this year. Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka have been suffering from severe and endless heatwaves, making life miserable for people.

These countries are still experiencing these prolonged heatwaves. Its impact is particularly high in urban areas. And in urban areas, fossil fuel powered motor vehicles are responsible for this.

Relying too much on cars and the resulting increase in greenhouse gas emissions are some of the reasons why urban temperatures have risen sharply over the past few decades. Using bicycles instead of private cars for just one day in Dhaka city can reduce carbon emissions by up to 67%, according to studies. Increasing bicycle trips in the city can help protect public health and address issues like pollution, traffic congestion, and accidents, while also reducing the urban heat island effect.

Sheikh Mohammad Hossain Khokon, Councilor of Ward No. 34 of Dhaka North City Corporation, attended a discussion as the chief guest. The discussion was chaired by Gaus Peary, director of Work for a Better Bangladesh Trust, and moderated by Md. Mithun, assistant project officer of the organization. Mahamudul Hasan, Communication Officer of The Institute of Wellbeing Bangladesh gave a welcome speech. Dhaka Ideal Cadet School Founder MA Mannan Monir, Dhanmondi Kachikanth High School Headmaster HM Nurul Islam, Bengali Medium High School Assistant Headmaster Md Zakir Hossain, Confidence Memorial High School Headmaster Md Delwar also spoke.

The President of the Bangladesh Cycling Lane Bastabayone Parished Council, Md Aminul Islam Tubbus, along with Azad Hossain from Life Serve Bangladesh, Moushumi Akter Bandhan from Healthy Living, AKM Ahsan Ullah from Global Pharma, and Sifat Harun from Female Cyclists of Bangladesh were present at the event. Many were present. About a hundred cyclists participated in the event.

Sheikh Mohammad Hossain Khokon, Councilor of Ward No. 34 of Dhaka North City Corporation, stated that carbon emissions are a global issue. A bicycle is a vehicle that does not require fossil fuels. A typical motor vehicle emits about 5 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. Carbon emissions can be significantly reduced through the use of bicycles in cities.

Unplanned urbanization and excessive vehicle usage contribute to rising temperatures in cities. Motor vehicles emit a significant amount of greenhouse gases like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and ozone, even for short distances. Already the number of private vehicles registered in Dhaka Metro has increased to 3,42,744. Further increase in this number will make the temperature of Dhaka city more unbearable. The temperature of Dhaka has increased by 6 degrees Celsius in the last 10 years. If the temperature continues to rise like this, living in the city will become very difficult. To prevent further harm to the environment, it is necessary to implement a plan that promotes the use of bicycles while gradually decreasing the use of fossil fuel powered vehicles in cities.

Speakers also said that there is a huge popularity of bicycles among the youth in Dhaka city. According to the Detailed Area Plan 2016-2035 for Dhaka Metropolitan Region

about 2 lakh people commute by bicycle in Dhaka city every day. Without infrastructure and parking for bicycles, cyclists have to ride on the road at risk and the lack of safe parking discourages bicycle use due to fear of theft. To create a bicycle-friendly network, we need to build the infrastructure, including separate bike lanes for both short and long-distance travel.

The other demands of the World Bicycle Day 2024 program include: making road crossings safer for cyclists, regulating the speed and number of motor vehicles to protect cyclists’ safety, creating bike-friendly infrastructure and route networks, having dedicated spaces for pedestrians and cyclists between road dividers, providing cycling training in schools, reducing taxes on bikes, identifying safe spaces for bike parking, allocating a budget for the bike network’s creation and maintenance, and providing necessary signs for bike routes, turns, crossings, and parking. The Dhaka Detailed Zonal Plan recommends constructing 202 km of bike lanes as soon as possible.