Cab strike continues for third day

15 May 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

Taxicab drivers kept their vehicles off the roads for the third consecutive day yesterday demanding punishment to policemen involved in Thursday's atrocity against the cabbies. On Thursday, eight cab drivers were arrested, around 20 others injured and several cabs damaged by police as the cabbies protested the requisition of a taxi from Sonargaon intersection in the city. Following the incident, the drivers went on an indefinite strike keeping their cabs off the city roads. The leaders of the cabbies yesterday demanded a halt to taxicab requisition, unconditional release of arrested taxi drivers and compensation for the cabs damaged by police during the clash with the drivers. They made the demand at a press briefing at Asad Auditorium of the Workers Party Office where, among others, General Secretary Iqbal Kabir, Acting President Zulhash Hawlader and Organising Secretary Ripon Khan of Dhaka Mahanagar Taxicab Drivers' Union were present. In the press conference, they also demanded trial of police personnel involved in torturing the drivers and damaging the cabs. The drivers threatened to go for a tougher movement if the government fails to meet their demands by the next seven days. “Police requisition their cars forcefully and illegally and do not give compensations despite they compel drivers to drive for five to seven days each time,” Iqbal Kabir said adding they vowed to resist police from requisitioning their cabs and formed a committee in this regard on May 1.