Several hundred rickshaw and rickshaw-van pullers put up a barricade on the Buriganga second bridge for three hours Thursday morning in protest at the restriction on the movement of non-motorised vehicles on the bridge and harassment by the police, witnesses said.
They also damaged at least seven vehicles, including CNG-run three-wheelers and buses, demanding withdrawal of the restriction imposed by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police and set fire to tyres on the road.
The protestors alleged that police regularly charged money from them illegally for allowing them to cross the bridge, and if they were refused the money, they (policemen) brutally tortured the van or rickshaw pullers.
On Thursday, witnesses said chase and counter-chase took place when the police resisted the pullers at Nayabazar from plying their vans and rickshaws on the bridge.
At one stage, several hundred rickshaw-pullers put up a barricade at Kadamtali point and vowed to continue their agitation until their demand was met.
Road communications of Keraniganj, Nawabganj, Dohar and Munshiganj with Dhaka through the bridge remained suspended for three hours since 7:00am.
Towards about 10:00am, some ruling Awami League men attacked the protestors with sticks in presence of the lawmen to foil the agitation but the protest got momentum.
The protestors, however, withdrew the barricade after Dhaka's additional superintendent of police Sheikh Rafiqul Islam rushed to the spot and assured them of meeting their demand.
Police sources said the Dhaka Metropolitan Police imposed a ban restricting the entrance of Dhaka district's non-motorised vehicles into the DMA, but a section of police on duty at both ends of the bridge collected money from the pullers allowing them to cross the bridge to enter the DMA area.
Source : New Age
