Auto-rickshaw drivers block Dhaka–Mymensingh Highway in Gazipur

Auto-rickshaw drivers blocked the Dhaka–Mymensingh Highway in Gazipur’s Sreepur upazila on Sunday, January 25, disrupting traffic for nearly an hour as they demanded permission to operate battery-powered auto-rickshaws and an end to alleged police harassment.

The blockade began around 8:30 am in front of the Cotton Research Center in the Puran Bazar area, where about 200–250 drivers gathered and occupied both lanes of the highway, bringing traffic movement to a halt.

The protesters called for legal authorisation to operate auto-rickshaws on the highway and the immediate cessation of what they described as police harassment.

The disruption left vehicles bound for Dhaka and Mymensingh stranded for an extended period, causing significant inconvenience to office-goers, students, commuters, and pedestrians. Several passengers were seen leaving their vehicles and walking to their destinations.

Upon receiving reports of the blockade, multiple teams from Sreepur Police Station were deployed to the scene to restore order, said Sreepur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Nasir Ahmed.

Traffic movement returned to normal around 9:30 am after the protesters withdrew from the highway, the OC said, adding that traffic resumed after police cleared the protesters from the road.

Md Aminul Islam/MHK