Meanwhile Committee for Rickshaw Eviction Prevention Movement has called rickshaw strike and dawn to dusk hartal in Dhaka city today in protest against 'police excesses on peaceful programmes of the rickshaw pullers'.

Besides, Rickshaw-van Malik-Sramic-Oikya-Sangram-Parishad, an organisation of rickshaw owners and pullers, called 48-hour rickshaw strike in the city from today.

Police baton-charged when hundreds of rickshaw pullers tried to advance towards the Azimpur bas stand at 8:00am protesting the government's decision to make the road off-limits to rickshaw.

Unruly rickshaw pullers also ransacked a BRTC (Bangladesh Road Transport Authority) bus at Azimpur. Police arrested seven rickshaw pullers from the spot during the clash.

"We must go for tougher movement and compel the government to withdraw the decision of banning rickshaw plying," said an aggrieved rickshaw puller, Sharif Mia.

To meet public demands, BRTC has already introduced 40 double-decker buses to ply from Gabtoli to Azimpur. The buses will transport passengers free of fare from Azimpur to Kalabagan for the first ten days from yesterday.

"I welcome the government's decision, but also apprehend that buses from Mirpur or Moham-madpur may be jam-packed when it comes to the Kalabagan bus stoppage," said Kalabagan resident advocate Ezaz Rahman.

Different markets including New Market and Gausia Market witnessed less customers compared to other weekly holidays.

"We may face problem too due to the government's decision to ban rickshaw as most of the customers usually come by rickshaws," a New Market shopkeeper said.