Drivers of battery-run three wheelers have been staging demonstration blocking roads in Dhaka’s Mirpur, Pallabi and some other areas since Sunday (May 19, 2024) morning, demanding withdrawal of ban on the movement of the vehicle in the capital.
Vehicular movement remained suspended as of filing this report at 1:40pm, on Mirpur-10 to 11, 2, 13 and Shewrapara roads, causing immense suffering to commuters.
Abu Saleh Md Raihan, joint commissioner (traffic-north) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), said three-wheeler drivers started demonstration around 9am obstructing plying of other vehicles, resulting in suffering of common people.
Sub-Inspector Mostaq Ahmed, duty officer of Pallabi police station, said though police teams were sent to the Mirpur area remove them from the roads, the protesters are yet to leave the roads.
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Witnesses said several hundred three-wheeler drivers gathered in the Mirpur-10 intersection to press home their demand in the morning.
Police requested them to leave the busy road but they didn’t listen to them.
Currently, the three-wheeler drivers have been staging demonstration in Mirpur, Pallabi, Agargaon, Taltola, Kalshi and Mirpur-13 areas.
Earlier on Wednesday, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader instructed the authorities concerned to take steps to stop the movement of battery-run three wheelers on the roads in Dhaka city.
“No battery-run three wheelers will be allowed on city roads. Apart from this, the movement of three wheelers has already been prohibited on 22 highways,” he said while speaking at the advisory council meeting at Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) headquarters on that day.