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Over a dozen people were injured as battery-run auto-rickshaw pullers clashed with police in Dhaka on Sunday, demanding the withdrawal of the ban on such vehicles in the capital.

Bangladesh Road Transport Authority chairman Nur Mohammad Mazumder informed ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that they had published a notice in different newspapers on Sunday banning the vehicle in Dhaka. 

The public notice follows the recent remark of road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, who on May 15 said that he had instructed the authorities concerned not to allow battery-run vehicles in Dhaka.

Protesters kept the Mirpur 10 crossing blocked from 9:30am to 4:00pm, creating a long tailback in the area.

Demonstrations were also held in the Mirpur 11, Mirpur-1, Agargaon, and Sabujbagh areas.

Protesters also set a police box on fire in the capital’s Kalshi area at about 4:15pm. Fire Service and Civil Defence control room official Mohammad Jibon Miah protesters blocked the way of two units of firefighters who rushed to the spot upon receiving information and had to stay in a safe place near Pallabi police station.

Local people later brought the fire under control, said a fire service official around 9:45pm.

Bangladesh Rickshaw Van Chalak Sramik Federation founding president Mohammad Momtaz Uddin Mozumder claimed that at least 13 rickshaw pullers were injured in the clash.

Two of them were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, and two others to the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation.

‘Police took away batteries from 25 auto-rickshaws and snapped power supplies from 11 garages on Saturday night. It triggered the protests,’ he said, adding that police had detained three rickshaw pullers. 

‘We could not even run our rickshaws in lanes and by-lanes. Police took Tk 1,200 from him but did not give any receipts,› said Mohammad Sumon, an auto-rickshaw puller. 

Mohammad Rana, another rickshaw puller, said that traffic police took Tk 5,000 from him recently and gave only a receipt of Tk 1,200,’ he said, accusing police of demanding bribes regularly.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police additional commissioner for traffic, Md Munibur Rahman, denied the allegations.

‘If anyone can come with proof of such incidents, we will take action,’ he said.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Mirpur Division deputy commissioner Jashim Uddin told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that they charged the protesters with batons as they attacked police and vandalised public property.

‘Protesters vandalised buses and set a police box on fire,’ he said.

A pedestrian was hit by pellets during the clash between police and rickshaw pullers in Kalshi and was undergoing treatment at DMCH.

DMCH police outpost in-charge Bacchu Mia identified the injured person as Mohammad Sagar, 23.

Sagar’s friend Sohela Rana said that they were returning to Kalshi Baunia from Uttara when they came in the line of fire. 

Sagar was hit by bullets fired from police shotguns, he alleged.  

DMP Mirpur Zone, DC Jashim Uddin admitted using rubber bullets but did not give any figures.

‘We have done everything to save people’s lives and control the situation,’ he said.

The road transport ministry banned three-wheelers and non-motorised vehicles from 22 national highways on August 1, 2015, amid some fatal accidents.

The government banned any kind of three-wheeler on three categories of roads—expressways, national highways, and regional highways - in the Motor Vehicle Speed Limit Guidelines 2024, adopted earlier this month.

Left, a demonstrator falls on the street as police charge batons to disperse the drivers of battery-run rickshaws demonstrating against banning the vehicle on Dhaka streets, right, a police box is set on fire, during the demonstration and clash, at Kalshi intersection in the capital’s Mirpur area on Sunday. — ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· photo