Battery-run rickshaw drivers block roads, halt rail services

Battery-powered rickshaw drivers continued their blockades in various parts of the city for the second consecutive day, leaving passengers stranded and causing disruption.

Earlier, several hundred battery-run rickshaw drivers blocked the Jurain rail crossing at 11:00 am on Friday, demanding permission to operate on city roads.

Train services in Dhaka resumed at 3:00 pm after the protesters were removed and the situation was brought under control.

According to Md. Anwar Hossain, station master at Kamalapur Railway Station, train services to Narayanganj, as well as Rajshahi and Khulna via the Padma Bridge, resumed after the situation was brought under control.

Eyewitnesses and police said that over 200 rickshaw drivers blocked the rail crossing at Jurain, bringing train services to a halt.

Protesters lowered the barriers on the rail tracks, causing significant traffic congestion in nearby areas.

At around 1:00 pm, police attempted to negotiate with the protesters, urging them to leave the tracks.

However, the drivers refused and continued their demonstration.

The situation escalated when clashes broke out between the rickshaw drivers and police.

Protesters hurled stones at law enforcement officers, leading to police retaliating with tear gas and baton charges.

The protest was eventually dispersed, and train services resumed once the tracks were cleared.

Md. Shafiqul Islam, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Shyampur Police Station, stated, "To control the situation, we had to use tear gas and baton charges. The situation returned to normal by 1:30 PM."

On Thursday, similar protests occurred in four areas of the capital, where battery-powered rickshaw drivers blocked roads for six to seven hours.

In Mohakhali, clashes between protesters and law-enforcers led to the vandalisation of several buildings and police vehicles.

Train services nationwide were disrupted for nearly six hours due to the protests.

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