Taxicab strike withdrawn

16 May 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

The leaders of the cabbies withdrew their indefinite strike Saturday night after they reached an agreement with the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) authorities on the same night over different issues including cab requisition. They enforced the strike on Thursday night following an unusual row that led to a clash between police and cabbies over taxi requisition. The clash left 20 drivers injured and several cabs damaged at Farmgate, Bijoy Sarani and Manik Mia Avenue on Thursday noon. Iqbal Kabir, general secretary of Dhaka Mahanagar Taxicab Drivers' Union, said eight leaders of their union and five cab owners held a meeting with the DMP high-ups including its commissioner on Saturday night at DMP headquarters. During the meeting, the commissioner verbally agreed that traffic personnel will not requisition any cab on the road and no case will be lodged against the drivers concerned for illegal parking, as there is no cab parking spaces across the capital, he said. The commissioner also agreed that police will not file any case against the drivers concerned if cab passengers bear illegal goods or drugs, as the drivers have no authority to search the passengers, he added. Deputy Commissioner (traffic west) Selim Mohammad Zahangir said a meeting was scheduled to be held last night to take decision regarding the issues raised by cabbies and cab owners in Saturday's meeting with DMP officials. However, he said if the taxicab owners arrange 20-25 cabs a day for requisition, police will not requisition any cab from the street. Selim, also head of the committee to investigate Thursday's incident, told The Daily Star that they found no police members responsible for the incident, as victim driver Ripon Khan said that he became naked due to his loose pant during the tussle with police.