Auto-rickshaw drivers clash with cops in Habiganj, 25 hurt

Auto-rickshaw drivers clashed with law enforcers today in Habiganj’s Shayestaganj over not allowing plying of the three-wheelers on highways, injuring at least 25 people.

Our Moulvibazar correspondent reports, auto-rickshaw drivers took to the street this morning protesting the seizing of some vehicles and non-permission for plying the highways.

Police yesterday seized five auto-rickshaws from the Dhaka-Sylhet highway. There is a High Court ban on plying of the unauthorised vehicles, Md Jasimuddin officer-in-charge of the Shayestaganj Highway Police Station, said. “The auto-rickshaw drivers took to the streets today to protest the incident.”

The auto-rickshaw owners and workers association urged the lawmen for giving back the vehicles to the drivers but police did not comply with the request, according to locals.

At one point, a clash took place between the policemen and the auto-rickshaw drivers around 11:00am, leaving at least 35 people including 15 policemen injured.

Among the injured policemen, four were admitted to Habiganj Sadar Hospital while the rest to Shayestaganj Upazila Health Complex, said Delwar Hosain, a sub-inspector of the police station.