Infuriated by ban, battery-run rickshaw drivers stage violent demo

Drivers of battery-run rickshaws and easy bikes on Sunday staged violent demonstrations against the ongoing crackdown on their vehicles by blocking various roads at Mirpur in Dhaka since the morning.
Chase, counter-chase and vandalism took place during the demonstrations, while the police teamed up with the local ruling-party members tried to disperse the agitating drivers.
Drivers also set fire to a police box in the Kalshi area in the evening. No casualties were reported during the demonstration, however, traffic movement was seriously disrupted in Mirpur and its adjoining areas for hours due to the clash.
Inspector (investigation) of Pallobi Police Station Mokhlesur Rahman told the FE that a case will be filed regarding the blazing at the police box at Kalshi and attempt will be made to arrest the persons involved.
The day-long demonstration also caused a huge sufferings to the commuters, with many forced to walk kilometres to reach their destinations as the drivers diverted buses to different directions.
Police and locals said several hundred drivers of the battery-run rickshaws and the easy bikes first gathered in Mirpur-11, Mirpur-1 and Kalshi areas around 10:30 am and staged sporadic demonstration protesting the drive against the battery-run vehicles as per the government decision.
They held on their position until 3:30 pm there. The agitating drivers vandalized at least 8 to 10 private cars and buses at that time.
They also attacked pedal rickshaws, witnesses and police said. Many took to social media to warn city dwellers to avoid roads in the Mirpur area.
In the afternoon, a clash broke out between battery-run rickshaw drivers and police, supported by the local ruling party members, as the latter tried to clear Mirpur-10 intersection.
After the clash, the protestors were dispersed and vehicular movement in the area resumed around 3:30 pm.
Later the drivers took their position at the Kalshi point of Mirpur. They also set fire to a police box in the Kalshi area at the evening.
Witnesses and police said the drivers set fire to the police box around 4:15 pm at the Kalshi intersection.
Many of the protesters said that they have bought their auto rickshaws borrowing money and police in last few days seized their auto rickshaws even from inside garages.
Mirpur Model Police Station Duty Officer Sub Inspector Rafiqul Islam told the FE that the situation was under control now and traffic movement in the Mirpur-10 area was quite normal.
Pallobi Police Station's Duty Officer Sub Inspector Jahirul Islam said that the situation of Kalshi area was also under control now and the traffic movement was also normal.

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