Commuters’ sufferings became terrible on Thursday in the capital as battery-run rickshaw pullers blocked at least 11 important crossings and points for hours, pressing demands for being allowed to ply the city roads.Ìý
The protesters also blocked the rail lines at Mohakhali, snapping rail communications with the rest of the country.
Although ambulances carrying emergency patients were allowed to move but they suffered long delays in tailbacks as the protesters blocked crossings, includingÌý Mohakhali, Basila, Gabtoli, Mirpur-10, Mirpur-12, Kazipara, Shewrapara, Agargaon, Rampura, Demra, Dhanmondi 3/A, Science Laboratory, and Basabo, from half an hour to eight hours on the day.
Their protest began since Wednesday, a day after theÌý High Court banned battery-run rickshaws on the Dhaka city streets.
Many people were seen walking coming down from bus, cars and other transports that were either stuck or directed to take diversions.
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On the day, the Armed Forces Day was also celebrated at the Dhaka cantonment requiring special traffic measures, facilitating smooth movement of the dignitaries.
Several hundred battery-run rickshaw pullers at about 12 noon brought out a procession from Mohammadpur Bus Stand area that marched through Dhnamondi-27 and Jigatola and blocked Science Laboratory crossing for over half an hour and returned to Mohammadpur via Kalabagan, Sukrabad and Asadgate at about 2:00pm.
Army and Border Guard Bangladesh personnel were seen deployed alongside the police to bring the situation under control.
A chase and counter chase between protesters and security forces took place at about 1:00pm at Mohakhali rail crossing when security agencies attempted to disperse the protesters, according to the police and witnesses.
The protesters also threw brick chips to the security personnel, breaking glasses of SKS Tower and an ATM booth at SKS Shopping Mall, they said, adding that protesters also vandalised vehicles of law enforcement agencies.Ìý
Banani police officer-in-charge Rasel Sarwar said that protesters threw brick chips when army personnel went to clear the rail lines and roads at Mohakhali.
A police vehicle was vandalised at Banani, he said, adding that the protesters left the area at about 3:00pm.
Clashes also took place between students and rickshaw pullers at Mohammadpur and Agargaon.
Rickshaw pullers and students both alleged each another for the incident while Mohammadpur police officer-in-charge Ali Iftekhar Hasan and Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police Mohammad Golam Azam said that they were not informed of the clashes.
Most of the rickshaw pullers said that they were living on hand to mouth by running battery-run rickshaws amid the price hike of essentials.Ìý
They would have to starve if their rickshaws were banned, they said, adding that or else, they would have to get involved in criminal activities for survival.
At Mohammadpur, several thousand rickshaw pullers blocked Mohammadpur Bus Stand crossing to Basila for about eight hours from 8:30am, clearing the road at about 4:15pm after getting assurance from Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Tejgaon Division deputy commissioner Mohammad Ruhul Kabir Khan that battery run rickshaws would ply under Dhaka North City Corporation jurisdiction except Mirpur road.Ìý
‘We are clearing the road today as DC Sir promised us to allow on road except main roads,’ said Md Ebrahim, a battery-run rickshaw puller.
Deputy commissioner Ruhul refused to make comments when reporters asked him how he would allow them to ply the city roads despite a High Court ban.
Several protesting rickshaw pullers alleged that traffic police members in Babubazar, Dhanmondi-8 and Abahani Club areas seized batteries without providing them receipts.
DMP additional commissioner for traffic Khondoker Nazmul Hasan said that if they received specific allegations of taking batteries without receipts, they would take action against those police members.
‘Rickshaw pullers have blocked 11 points in the city. We can understand that people are suffering immensely and we have no other option but to divert vehicles to other roads,’ Nazmul told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ·.
He said that they counseled the rickshaw pullers but did not assure them about letting them ply on the city roads violating the High Court order.Ìý
Rail communications between Dhaka and the rest of the country were almost suspended for around six hours on the day, stranding the trains at different points and forcing the passengers to wait for longer periods at the Dhaka Railway Station at Kamalapur.Ìý
Bangladesh Railway’s Dhaka divisional transport officer Khairul Kabir said that the protesters blocked the rail line at Mohakhali at about 9:50am on Thursday.
Rail communications resumed at about 4:00pm after the protesters removed their blockade from Mohakhali area, said Kamalapur rail station manager Anowar Hossain.
On Tuesday, a High Court bench directed the authorities concerned to stop plying battery-run auto-rickshaws in the city within three days.