Battery rickshaw drivers clash with police in Ctg: 51 arrested in four days
Five police officers were injured during the clash, says Chandgaon OC Aftab Uddin
Police have arrested four more individuals in connection with the recent clash between battery-powered rickshaw drivers and law enforcement in the Kaptai Rastar Matha area under Chandgaon Police Station.
With the latest arrests, the total number of arrested individuals has reached 51 over the past four days.
Md Ibrahim (40), Monir Ahmed (50), Md Robin Islam (25), and Arafatul Islam Noman (22) were arrested during a raid in the Bahaddarhat area around 6am today (27 April).
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Chandgaon Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Aftab Uddin stated that five police officers were injured during the clash.
Mentioning that a case was later filed under the Special Powers Act, the officer said those involved in the attack on police were identified through video footage.
"Launching raids, we arrested a total 51 accused in the case in the last four days", he added.
The conflict stems from an ongoing police operation aimed at banning battery-powered rickshaws in Chattogram city, during which approximately 3,000 rickshaws have been seized so far. On 23 April, a raid led by an executive magistrate targeted garages in the Kaptai Rastar Matha area, resulting in the confiscation of rickshaws and the disconnection of garage electricity supplies.
In response, rickshaw drivers organised a protest march from Kaptai Rastar Matha to Bahir Signal, blocking the main road. The blockade led to severe traffic congestion along Arakan Road, lasting nearly three hours. When police intervened to clear the road, a verbal altercation escalated into a physical clash.
During the clash, protesters hurled bricks and stones at the police, who responded with tear gas to disperse the crowd. Drivers then scattered into nearby alleyways, leading to a series of chases and counter-chases until noon.
Army personnel were later deployed to bring the situation under control.
Police subsequently filed a case that night.
Conducting raids in the Kaptai Rastar Matha area on 24 April, police arrested 33 people involved in the clash.
