Vehicular movement on Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail highways remained suspended for an hour on Wednesday as local people blocked those protesting the death of a trader allegedly under police custody. However, police said he died in a road crash while returning to his home. Local people said a team of police from Bason Police Station arrested four people from Bhogra Bypass area on Saturday night on charge of gambling. Later, police released three of them except Rabiul Islam, 40, a resident of Peyara Bagan in Gazipur city. On Tuesday night, police went to the house of Rabiul and took signature of his wife on a white paper, they said. Soon after that, Rabiul’s wife came to know that Rabiul died in the night. Also read: Man dies in police custody in Tangail Enraged by the death of Rabiul, local people, equipped with sticks, put up barricades on Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways around 9:30 am, disrupting traffic movement. They also set two motorbikes on fire. On information, police rushed to the spot and lobbed tear gas shells and used rubber bullets to disperse them. Vehicular movement on both the highways came to normal at 10:30 pm after police intervention. However, Abu Torab, deputy commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police, Shamsur Rahman, said Rabiul died in a road crash while returning to his home from police lockup. “The allegation brought by the local people will be investigated,” he said. END/UNB/Corr/MAS/FH

Vehicles movement will be limited in the city's Press Club, Paltan and Zero Point areas tomorrow (Sunday) due to day-long political program at Bangabandhu Avenue tomorrow (Sunday). Traffic division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) requested the city dwellers to use alternative roads avoiding traveling in those areas, says a senior officer of the DMP. Bangladesh Awami League has organised a day-long political program at Bangabandhu Avenue in memory of those killed in the grenade attack on August 21. On the occasion of this program, traffic will be limited in Press Club, Paltan and Zero Point areas of the capital to avoid traffic jams. As a result, diversion of transport movement will continue on the roads in the area from 9:00 am until the end of the program, the official said, requesting anonymity. Read: Bangabandhu’s assassination plunged country into a series of disasters: Academics On August 21 in 2004, a grisly grenade attack was carried out on an anti-terrorism rally organised by the Awami League at Bangabandhu Avenue. At least 24 people, including Awami League women affairs secretary and late President Zillur Rahman’s wife Ivy Rahman, were killed and 300 others were also injured. Awami League and its associated bodies have been observe the day as the “grenade Attack Day” with elaborate programmes, including discussions. On this occasion, politicians of the Awami League and its affiliated outfits will place wreaths at a makeshift altar in front of the party’s central office at Bangabandhu Avenue on Sunday morning.

Vehicular movement on Kalurghat Bridge resumed in the early hours of Saturday, after remaining suspended for nearly five hours due to the derailment of an oil tanker of a freight train. Ahsan Jabir, additional chief engineer (bridge) of Railway East Zone, said that the tanker veered off the railway track on the Chattogram-Dohazari route while returning to the port city from Cox’s Bazar Dohazari Pinki Power Plant around 8.30pm on Friday. The derailment disrupted road and rail communication on the busy bridge. Later, a railroad crane from Pahartoli rushed to the spot and removed the tanker at 1.30am. Also read: Derailment snaps Sylhet's rail links with other parts of country A number of vehicles remained stranded on both sides of the bridge shortly after the accident, the official said.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday said they want to see Dhaka-Sylhet multilane and modern highway operational by 2023 which will remain fit for vehicular movement at least for 50 years.

The Election Commission has imposed a ban on the movement of motorcycles for 54 hours and motorised vehicles for 18 hours in the capital for the elections to the Dhaka north and south city corporations slated for February 1