Auto-rickshaw drivers blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway for four hours on Tuesday protesting the murder of an autorickshaw driver in the New Bazar area of Gazipur.
The deceased has been identified as Liton Mia, 35, son of Dulal Mia from Shibhasha village in Madan upazila, Netrokona.
The incident took place on Monday when Liton Mia parked his autorickshaw on the roadside in the Masterbari area.
A Taqwa transport bus broke his rickshaw's side mirror, leading to an argument between Liton and the transport workers.
Later, it is alleged that he was taken onto the bus, where he was murdered by having his tendons severed.
In response, the protesting drivers staged a roadblock in the New Bazar area on Tuesday from 7:30am to 11:30am, causing severe traffic congestion on both sides of the highway.
This resulted in immense suffering for passengers, drivers, and garment workers commuting to their workplaces in the morning.
The protesting auto-rickshaw drivers left their vehicles on the highway, obstructing traffic.
Ismail Hossain, a lawyer at the Gazipur District Court who frequently uses this road, expressed his frustration: "Taqwa transport buses drive recklessly. I heard that last night, they pushed an auto-rickshaw driver off the bus and ran him over, killing him."
Tahajjud Hossain, an official at a garment factory in Bhaluka, Mymensingh, criticized the protest: "There were other ways to resolve this issue. Every time something happens to the workers, they hold the public hostage by blocking roads. During Ramadan, this causes immense suffering. This place feels lawless—every little issue leads to a roadblock."
Several frustrated passengers echoed similar sentiments: "Whenever we step out of our homes, we worry about road blockades. Every day, a highway is blocked somewhere due to some incident. Such protests shouldn't be allowed, yet law enforcement and the administration do nothing. "
Abdul Latif, a local resident and eyewitness who reported the murder, said: "On Monday at around 8:30pm, I was standing near New Bazar by the highway. A Taqwa transport bus took auto-rickshaw driver Liton Mia onboard, severed the tendons in his hands and legs, and dumped his body in the New Bazar area. Upon receiving the news, the police arrested the bus driver, Jony, and seized the Taqwa transport bus."
Auto-rickshaw drivers Hasmat Ali, Dulal Mia, and others alleged: "Liton Mia was deliberately murdered inside the bus by having his tendons cut."
Officer-in-Charge (OC) Nayan Kar of Sripur police station, said: "The protesters demanded that a murder case be filed for the auto-rickshaw driver's killing. Once we showed them the murder case documents, they withdrew from the highway at 11:30am, allowing traffic to resume."