BCC guards, battery run 3-wheeler drivers clash
Drivers of battery-powered three-wheelers and guards of Barisal City Corporation yesterday clashed in front of the city corporation office over seizure of the vehicles.
Abdus Salam, one of the drivers, alleged that without any notice officials of BCC tried to extort Tk 500 from them yesterday morning. As the drivers failed to pay the money, the officials seized over 35 battery-operated three-wheelers, which had legal documents, near Barisal river port area.
"When we went to the city corporation to request that they release the vehicles, BCC guards attacked us forcing us to retaliate," he claimed.
Meanwhile, Nikhil Chandra Das, chief executive officer of the city corporation, denied the extortion allegation.
He said the city corporation has given licences to only 2,610 three-wheelers for operation. However, double the number of vehicles operate in the city.
"We seized vehicles which had no valid documents in a regular drive," he told The Daily Star.
The BCC official claimed after the vehicles were seized, owners and drivers of the three-wheelers came to the city corporation and forcibly took back the vehicles from custody of the guards.
The guards then, wielding sticks, clashed with the drivers, he said.
On information, police arrived at the scene and charged baton to bring the situation under control, said witnesses.
In the afternoon, the drivers again tried to march towards the city corporation but were prevented by police.
The clash left ten people from both sides injured.
Shakhawat Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, said they charged baton to control the situation.
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