Online Desk  :  The drivers of battery-operated auto-rickshaws staged demonstration at Jurain of Dhaka blocking  roads and railway tracks on Friday afternoon, demanding the withdrawal of a High Court directive banning battery-operated rickshaws. They halted two trains –Narayanganj Commuter and Nakshikantha Commuter. As a result, train services between Dhaka-Narayanganj and Dhaka-Mawa-Padma Bridge came to a standstill.

The demonstration escalated into a confrontation with law enforcement officials, resulting in chase and counter-chase, causing panic in the area. Shopkeepers shut down their businesses during the turmoil. The agitated auto-drivers vow to continue their demonstration until they are granted permission to operate their rickshaws. Earlier, on Tuesday, a High Court bench comprising Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Sikder Mahmudur Razi directed the cessation of battery-operated auto-rickshaws within three days in the Dhaka Metropolitan area. Following the court order, rickshaw drivers have been staging protests in different areas of the capital. Meanwhile, on Thursday, widespread blockades paralyzed the city, leading to multiple clashes between protesters and law enforcement. Train services were disrupted for nearly six hours due to the demonstrations.