Battery-driven rickshaw pullers set ablaze police box in Kalshi

A police box was set on fire by battery-driven rickshaw pullers during a clash with the police at Kalshi area in the capital.

According to witnesses and police sources, rickshaw pullers set fire to the police box at Kalshi intersection around 4:30 pm on Sunday (May 19).

The clash broke out when the police resorted to teargas and baton charge to disperse the rickshaw pullers who had been staging demonstrations blockading the Kalshi flyover.

Earlier, in protest against the ban on battery-driven auto-rickshaws, the rickshaw pullers started protesting by blocking the Mirpur-10 intersection in the morning, halting traffic movement in the area. After about five hours around 3:00pm, the police along with the leaders and activists of the ruling party dispersed them using baton charge and tear gas.

Later, the rickshaw pullers reorganised in Kalshi area and blocked the road by burning tires. Police and eyewitnesses said that the rickshaw pullers set fire to the police box when the police started chasing them around 3:30pm.

Saiful Islam, warehouse inspector of Pallabi fire station, said that two engines of the fire service went to the spot and tried to put out the fire. Firefighters however were also obstructed by rickshaw pullers there.

Around 6:30pm, traffic movement resumed in Kalshi area. However, the rickshaw pullers are throwing brickbats at vehicles from the alleys of the main road.