Staff Reporter :
A driver was killed in cops firing when transport workers engaged in a clash with police to protest the rising of toll rate for using Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge (Buriganga- 1 Bridge) in Dhaka on Friday morning.
The deceased was identified as Sohel, 29, a driver of a three-wheeler, locally known as Mahendra.
At least 100 people, including 35 police personnel, were injured during the clash, said law enforcers and transport workers.
Nine bullet-hit workers and several others critically injured men were sent to Ikuria General Hospital where doctors declared Sohel dead around 11:30am.
The law enforcers allegedly picked up at least 20 transport workers during the clash, locals claimed.
Plying of vehicles has been disrupted for four hours since morning on both sides of the bridge centering the clash, they said.
Witnesses said, truck workers and owners staged
a demonstration by blocking the road in Hasnabad area demanding cancellation of toll for the bridge around 9:00am.
The agitators started hurling brick chunks at the policemen as the latter obstructed them to demonstrate. Police used tear shells and rubber bullets at them, in retaliation.
The area turned into a ‘battle-field’ when transport workers started pelting brick bats to the law enforcers that prompted them to fire rubber bullets and lob tear gas shells, leaving five injured by bullets, they said.
Sha Migan Shafiur Rahman, Superintendent of Police (SP) in Dhaka, said that he heard that one person was killed in the clash and several others were injured, including police personnel.
He, however, claimed that the policemen only fired blanks to disperse the agitated workers, adding that police did not kill the victim in gunshot.
The law enforcers were trying to bring the situation under control, a police official on the spot said seeking anonymity.
“Talks are being held with the workers to resolve the issue,” he added.
South Keraniganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shah Zaman, said the workers swooped on police and started pelting brick chips. They put up barricade spreading two trucks of bricks on the road, he added.
As the brick chips thrown by the angry workers injured a policeman, police went on action he said.
Tridib, Sub-Inspector and Duty-Officer of the PS, told The New Nation in the evening, “More than 35 police personnel received injuries in the melee.”
Replying a query, he said that nobody was from the area.
He also said that no case was filed with the police in connection with the incident.
Kamal Parvez, a transport workers’ leader, said that toll money is still being collected from vehicles at the bridge and the toll rate was increased three days before although the duration of toll collection has already expired several years back.
Keraniganj Ikuria General Hospital’s manager Karimul Hasan said that three bullet-hit people were brought to the hospital at about 10:10am. Among them, a truck driver with bullet wounds in his abdomen died later.
He also said the rest two received bullets on their legs and they were sent to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) after giving first aid.
The hospital further sources said, eight to nine protesters, including truck driver Akash and helpers Masud, Alamin, Manik, Laizul Islam, Siddik, Saju and Bakum and a beggar also sustained bullet injuries.
No toll will be collected from the vehicles plying on the bridge until further decision is taken in this regard, said workers at the toll plaza.
DMCH Police Outpost’s Sub-Inspector Bachchu Mia said the two injured workers were admitted to the DMCH.
In this backdrop, The Roads and Highways Department’s recent decision to collect tolls at increased rates for using the bridge sparked the protest, workers said.
They said that earlier toll rate for a truck was Tk 30, which has been raised to Tk 240 on October 22. Such huge toll-rise threw them into trouble. They started their protest against the hike from Monday.
The workers also claimed that police have detained over 20 of their fellow men and some more received injuries in police action.
A driver was killed in cops firing when transport workers engaged in a clash with police to protest the rising of toll rate for using Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge (Buriganga- 1 Bridge) in Dhaka on Friday morning.
The deceased was identified as Sohel, 29, a driver of a three-wheeler, locally known as Mahendra.
At least 100 people, including 35 police personnel, were injured during the clash, said law enforcers and transport workers.
Nine bullet-hit workers and several others critically injured men were sent to Ikuria General Hospital where doctors declared Sohel dead around 11:30am.
The law enforcers allegedly picked up at least 20 transport workers during the clash, locals claimed.
Plying of vehicles has been disrupted for four hours since morning on both sides of the bridge centering the clash, they said.
Witnesses said, truck workers and owners staged
a demonstration by blocking the road in Hasnabad area demanding cancellation of toll for the bridge around 9:00am.
The agitators started hurling brick chunks at the policemen as the latter obstructed them to demonstrate. Police used tear shells and rubber bullets at them, in retaliation.
The area turned into a ‘battle-field’ when transport workers started pelting brick bats to the law enforcers that prompted them to fire rubber bullets and lob tear gas shells, leaving five injured by bullets, they said.
Sha Migan Shafiur Rahman, Superintendent of Police (SP) in Dhaka, said that he heard that one person was killed in the clash and several others were injured, including police personnel.
He, however, claimed that the policemen only fired blanks to disperse the agitated workers, adding that police did not kill the victim in gunshot.
The law enforcers were trying to bring the situation under control, a police official on the spot said seeking anonymity.
“Talks are being held with the workers to resolve the issue,” he added.
South Keraniganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shah Zaman, said the workers swooped on police and started pelting brick chips. They put up barricade spreading two trucks of bricks on the road, he added.
As the brick chips thrown by the angry workers injured a policeman, police went on action he said.
Tridib, Sub-Inspector and Duty-Officer of the PS, told The New Nation in the evening, “More than 35 police personnel received injuries in the melee.”
Replying a query, he said that nobody was from the area.
He also said that no case was filed with the police in connection with the incident.
Kamal Parvez, a transport workers’ leader, said that toll money is still being collected from vehicles at the bridge and the toll rate was increased three days before although the duration of toll collection has already expired several years back.
Keraniganj Ikuria General Hospital’s manager Karimul Hasan said that three bullet-hit people were brought to the hospital at about 10:10am. Among them, a truck driver with bullet wounds in his abdomen died later.
He also said the rest two received bullets on their legs and they were sent to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) after giving first aid.
The hospital further sources said, eight to nine protesters, including truck driver Akash and helpers Masud, Alamin, Manik, Laizul Islam, Siddik, Saju and Bakum and a beggar also sustained bullet injuries.
No toll will be collected from the vehicles plying on the bridge until further decision is taken in this regard, said workers at the toll plaza.
DMCH Police Outpost’s Sub-Inspector Bachchu Mia said the two injured workers were admitted to the DMCH.
In this backdrop, The Roads and Highways Department’s recent decision to collect tolls at increased rates for using the bridge sparked the protest, workers said.
They said that earlier toll rate for a truck was Tk 30, which has been raised to Tk 240 on October 22. Such huge toll-rise threw them into trouble. They started their protest against the hike from Monday.
The workers also claimed that police have detained over 20 of their fellow men and some more received injuries in police action.
