Constable injured as 5 police boxes vandalised in Dhaka’s Mirpur

Drivers of battery-run auto-rickshaws this morning (October 14, 2022) vandalised five traffic police boxes in the capital's Mirpur and Pallabi areas, leaving a traffic constable injured.

The incident happened in front of Adarsha School in the Mirpur-10 area around 8:30 am when traffic constable Mizanur Rahman stopped two illegal battery-run-auto-rickshaws, Elias Hossain, assistant commissioner of Traffic Division (Pallabi Zone) told The Daily Star.

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Enraged by this, 25 to 30 rickshaw pullers attacked Mizanur. At this time, another traffic police officer ran away, witnesses said.

Mizanur's face was bruised in the attack. He was later taken to a local hospital by two passersby. He got 13 stitches on his face.

Following the incident, the rickshaw pullers left the scene.

After that, they unitedly attacked a few traffic police boxes including Mirpur 12, Kalshi and Sagufta areas. A police motorbike was also vandalised during the incident. The rickshaw pullers alleged that they have been facing various harassment including cases and bribes by the policemen.

The AC said police have been carrying out regular raids to enforce a High Court order banning battery-powered rickshaws from operating on the main roads. The drivers of such vehicles have continued to defy the ban, leading to various accidents, he added.

"When we were conducting an operation against these illegal rickshaws, the drivers unitedly attacked the traffic police boxes with bricks and sticks. There might be instigation from their owners who are some influential people of the area," he added.

No one was arrested in this connection as of filing the report at 6:30 pm.

Two cases were under process to be filed against the attackers and the instigators for police assault, obstructing police and vandalising government properties.