Normal life in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka was disrupted on Monday as battery-operated auto-rickshaw drivers staged a strike over a series of demands, leaving commuters facing difficulties in travelling across the city, local media reported.
Auto-rickshaw drivers stopped operations in Dholai Khal, Rampura, Banasree, Badda, Dayaganj, Jatrabari, Mirpur, Dholai Para and nearby areas on Monday. Several auto-rickshaw drivers who continued operations were reportedly vandalised by protesting drivers who took positions at various intersections in Dhaka, Bangladesh-based daily Dhaka Tribune reported.
The drivers said they were holding strike to protest high license fees imposed under the government’s new police and a rule which restricted each driver from operating more than five auto-rickshaws.
Auto-rickshaw drivers gathered in a procession at South Jatrabari intersection and shouted slogans over their demands. Commuters, including students and office-goers, were left stranded due to the disruption of auto-rickshaw services. Many of the commuters waited on the road for other means of transport while some were forced to walk long distances to reach their destinations.
In October, battery-operated auto-rickshaw drivers blocked roads in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur and Hazaribagh areas yesterday, demanding an end to eviction drives and permission to operate on main roads, Bangladesh daily The Daily Star reported.
Severe traffic congestion on the road was reported due to the protests by battery-run auto-rickshaw drivers. People struggled to reach their destinations due to strike of auto-rickshaws in Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur, Basila and nearby areas.
The protesters called for an end to alleged police harassment, claiming that their vehicles were being damaged or seized. They also demanded permission to operate on Dhaka roads.
Speaking to The Daily Star, the inspector of the traffic police’s Mohammadpur-Basila zone said that drivers blocked Tin Rastar Mor, a key intersection linking Gabtoli Road with Mohammadpur and Basila.
Mosharaf Hossain, officer-in-charge of Hazaribagh Police Station, said that drivers blocked Beribadh Road in Hazaribagh and another road near Rayerbazar.
