Police on Saturday foiled a procession of bikers towards Baridhara brought out in protest against a reported ban on lungi-clad rickshaw pullers in the city’s one of the ‘posh’ areas.
The lawmen, led by Kazi Mainul Islam, an inspector of Banani police station, stopped more than 200 lungi-clad bikers near Banani playground when the cyclists intended to ride towards Baridhara from the playground after taking a break.
‘Police confined us in the Banani playground and told us that we will not be allowed to demonstrate without permission of the authorities,’ said a bike rider.
Mainul asked the bikers not to move in a procession.
When asked, Mainul told New Age, ‘There is a law which does not allow more than five to 10 people’s gathering in a social programme.’
Bikers being organised through facebook, a social communication network, had decided to march to Baridhara wearing lungi in protest at the ban imposed by Baridhara Society on lungi-clad rickshaw pullers in the area.
A lungi-clad biker, who is an electrical engineering student at American International University, said the instruction of the society was not acceptable as lungi was a traditional clothing of Bangladesh.
It has been reported that private security men had stopped rickshaws run by a lungi-clad rickshaw puller in the area and thus obstructed passengers’ free movement across Baridhara.
Lungi-clad rickshaw pullers, however, have been found in the area in the last few days.
On Wednesday, Baridhara Society president Feroz M Hassan claimed that the authorities did not impose any ban on lungi-clad rickshaw pullers.
In a note on Baridhara Society’s facebook account, Feroz wrote, ‘There are no restrictions on rickshaw drivers wearing lungi in Baridhara.
‘We sincerely regret if any such incident has happened where incoming rickshaw driver with lungi was restricted by the guards.’
Feroz, however, could not be reached for comment over phone.
-With New Age input
