& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Truckers take to the street

Protest attacks on vehicles; cops foil their march towards Khaleda's residence

Staff Correspondent
Police yesterday foiled a bid by transport workers to stage demonstrations in front of the BNP chairperson's residence. They were protesting the attack on drivers and their vehicles during the opposition's recent movement across the country.
Gulshan police said nearly 400 workers, mostly truckers, had begun gathering at Gulshan-2 intersection in the capital from 11:00am.
A big procession of workers, under the banner of Sammilito Gari Chalok Samaj, also moved to Gulshan-2 from Mohakhali Bus Stand at that time.
As the agitating workers were trying to go to Khaleda Zia's residence at Road no 79 in processions, the law enforcers intercepted them at the intersection by putting up barricades.
The transport workers repeatedly tried to break through the police barricade, but failed. Some of them even tried to
SEE PAGE 2 COL 2
FROM PAGE 16
lie down in the middle of the street at Gulshan-2 intersection.
In a brief meeting at the Gulshan-2 intersection, transport workers said arson and vandalism were regular incidents during the blockade and hartal hours.
Drivers and helpers are dying every day due to arson attacks on their trucks and buses during the opposition's recent movement.
Blockade and hartal supporters have vandalised and set fire to several hundred vehicles, including trucks, buses, pick-ups and covered vans since November 26.
They also said the highways through Chittagong's Satkania and Sitakundu upazilas are most prone to arson and vandalism.
The transport workers did not face such life threatening situations in the past as they were facing now, they added.
Senior police officials of Gulshan zone requested the agitating workers to nominate two of their leaders to visit the opposition leader.
But they refused and left the venue chanting slogans against Khaleda Zia for instigating recent violent attacks on transport workers.
During their demo at the intersection, the
workers were carrying posters, banners and placards with slogans.
In their slogans, they blamed Khaleda Zia, also chief of the BNP-led 18-party alliance, for their continuous sufferings caused by the long-duration blockade.
It was alleged that Awami Sramik League, labour front of the Awami League, was behind the transport workers' initiative.
Earlier, security was beefed up near the opposition leader's residence following the workers' move. However, additional police forces deployed in the area were withdrawn later.