An unspecified number of transport workers were injured in a clash with police and members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) at Gabtoli Bus Terminal in the city on Wednesday morning.
Witnesses said the trouble began when some transport workers prevented some anti-strike workers from taking their vehicles out to the streets in the morning. As the fight escalated, the law enforcers charged baton and dispersed the protesters, leaving some of them injured. Shah Alam, driver of Baishakhi Paribahan, suffered serious injuries during the clash. He was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where he succumbed to injuries, said Sub-inspector Bacchu Miah, in-charge of DMCH police camp. Minutes later, the workers regrouped and started hurling brick chips at the policemen and RAB members, triggering chases and counter-chases for several times.
The law enforcers arrested four transport workers from the scene. The agitated workers also set fire to a police box in the area in the morning. On Thursday night, they set fire to a police van in the area.
Asked about the Gabtoli incident, Dhaka Metropolitan Commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah told UNB that the police personnel were asked to exercise the highest restraint while dealing with the workers.
A good number of law enforcers were deployed from Technical intersection to Aminbazar in Savar upazila to ward off any untoward incident. The strike, enforced by Bangladesh Road Transport Workers, Federation, protesting the life term imprisonment of a bus driver in a case filed for a road accident that killed five people, including noted filmmaker Tareque Masud and cinematographer Mishuk Munier, entered the second day toady.
In the capital, no inter-district bus left Gabtoli, Mohakhali or Sayedabad bus terminals in the morning while very few buses were seen plying the road throughout the city.
