Policemen charge baton to break up demonstrations of CNG-run auto-rickshaw owners and drivers on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway in Signboard and Shimrail areas on Monday. The demonstrators demanded lifting of the recently-imposed ban on plying their vehicles on
The ongoing protest by owners, drivers and workers against the highway ban on three-wheelers stretched into the third consecutive day amid road blockades and clashes in various parts of the country on Monday.
About 10 people were injured in a clash between the protestors and the law-enforcers, who were assigned on the highways to ensure smooth movement of traffic.
The agitators staged demonstrations demanding immediate lifting of embargo on Dhaka-Chittagong, Dhaka-Tangail, Dhaka-Sylhet, Dhaka-Aricha, Dhaka-Munshiganj and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways on the day.
The protests also temporarily halted vehicular movements at many locations on major highways, causing immense sufferings to the passengers.
Scores of demonstrators in a procession blockaded Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Sign Board under Narayanganj district at about 11:00am protesting against the highway ban.
Witnesses said as police came to intervene to clear the country's main economic corridor Dhaka-Chittagong Highway for traffic movements, the enraged protesters hurled brickbats on the police, leading to chase and counter-chase.
"Police then charged batons and fired blank shots to disperse them," Md Mokhlesur Rahman, additional police superintendent of Narayanganj, said.
Earlier on the day, drivers and workers of the CNG-run three-wheelers and locally-made human haulers staged demonstrations in Daudkandi of Comilla disrupting traffic movements on Comilla-Chandpur Highway in this connection.
The protestors said the police personnel forced drivers of the three-wheelers to pay kickbacks when the vehicles came to the highways to taking gas in the filling stations.
Officer-in-Charge of Daudkandi Highway Police Station Jubaidul Alam rejected the allegation, saying that they should come with enough evidence. "Strict legal action will be taken against the policemen if anyone is found guilty," he said.
Protests by the three-wheeler operators were also recorded in Ashulia, Habiganj, Manikganj and Sirajdikhan in Munshiganj on the day.
The government banned CNG autos and other forms of three-wheelers on highways to check road crashes. The ban, effective from August 1, triggered protests from the vehicle operators.
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