Staff Correspondent

Battery-run rickshaw drivers blocked the rail crossing in the capital's Jurain on Friday, causing significant disruption to both road and rail traffic.

Shafiqul Islam, the officer-in-charge (OC) of Shyampur Police Station, said that hundreds of rickshaw drivers began their protest around 11:00am, demanding that battery-powered rickshaws be permitted to operate on the roads in Dhaka.

The police initially attempted to convince the protesters to clear the area. However, when the protesters refused to comply, the police were forced to take action and disperse them. By 1:00pm, the roads were cleared, according to OC Shafiqul.

Mohammad Anwar Hossain, station master at Kamalapur Railway Station, explained that the blockade disrupted rail services between Dhaka and Narayanganj as well as Khulna.

Two trains scheduled to depart from Dhaka to Narayanganj were delayed, along with two trains arriving from the nearby city.

Additionally, the Nakshi Katha commuter train to Khulna and the Dhaka-bound Modhumoti Express from Rajshahi were also unable to reach their destinations.

However, the railway lines had been cleared by 3:20pm, and services resumed normal operations.

Earlier on Tuesday, the High Court ordered the authorities concerned to impose a ban on plying of battery-run rickshaws in Dhaka within three working days.

The HC bench of Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi passed the order after hearing a writ petition.

HC orders ban on plying of battery-run rickshaws in Dhaka within 3 days

The following day, the drivers of battery-powered rickshaws blocked roads in different parts of the capital protesting a ban on their movement in city streets.