Barricade on Buriganga bridge for toll withdrawal
Hundreds of agitating CNG drivers and rickshaw pullers barricaded second Buriganga bridge for three hours yesterday demanding the withdrawal of bridge toll for CNG and non-motorised vehicles.
They held a rally on the bridge suspending vehicular movement on the Dhaka-Mawa highway from 10:00am and set fire to the motorcycle of Prothom Alo official Utpal Chakraborty.
Locals including AL activists with banners also took part in the demonstration at Dakkhin Keraniganj on the southern part of the bridge.
The demonstrators withdrew the blockade at 1:00pm after local AL leaders assured them of fulfilling their demand.
Currently CNG drivers pay Tk 10 while rickshaw and rickshaw-van pullers Tk 2 and motorcycle riders Tk 5 each time they cross the bridge.
The demonstrators said local people of Keraniganj and small vehicle owners pay a huge amount as toll every day as they have to use the bridge several times.
“I cross the bridge 30 to 40 times a day and therefore I pay Tk 300 to Tk 400 as toll each day,” said Rahmat Ali, a local CNG driver.
Local lawmaker Nasrul Hamid Bipu said, “I submitted a proposal to the communications minister asking to waive the bridge toll for locals and owners of small vehicles.”
Bangladesh Roads and Highways (R&H) authorities collect tolls for the last one month upon expiry of the previous lease.
“We have informed the higher authorities about the matter,” said Manjurul Alam, deputy assistant engineer of R&H and in-charge of toll-collection of the bridge.
Earlier, the CNG drivers and rickshaw and rickshaw-van pullers staged demonstration several times on the same issue.
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