The prevailing tumultuous situation in the country’s politics has pushed the district’s transport
sector into complete disarray inflicting serious damage on income of its workers.
Frequent spells of hartal and blockade, enforced by the BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance,
have thrown 7,000 transport workers of the district, who are dependent on their daily fixed
income to maintain their families, out of job.
“There’s wage if vehicles run on roads. At present, I don’t have any money owing to long
suspension of bus service. How can I survive with my wife and children? ” said Babul Miah,
supervisor of a bus plying the Dhaka-Sherpur route.
another bus worker Jalal Uddin at Nabinagar inter-district bus terminal said, “We’re on the
verge of death as blockade has blocked all ways of our income.”
Like them, other transports workers and those who run businesses around different bus
and truck terminals in the district are now passing days amid extreme economic hardship as
services of the long-route passenger buses and goods-laden trucks, tankers and lorries have
remained suspended for many days at a stretch.
During visit to different bus and truck terminals here recently, the UNB correspondent found a
large number of buses and trucks standing idle in rows.
The hotels, restaurants, small stores and different offices around the terminals also remained
shut, making a sharp dent in income of the people related to those.
Transport worker Babul Miah said he is facing not only financial crisis but also difficulties in
running his family amid hartals and blockades.
With no earning now, he has to borrow money from others for the sustenance of his family.
Holding politicians responsible for the unending instability across the country, he demanded
finding an immediate way out of the situation.
Besides workers’ miseries, transport owners who bought vehicles on bank loans are failing to
repay the loans’ installments as they can now earn hardly any or no income due to the political
unrest marked by hartals and blockades.
The owners also have to remain worried about safety of their vehicles.
It is worth mentioning that over 7000 workers are employed in the district’s transport sector.
Contacted, Shahidul Islam, former president of Sherpur Road Transport Workers’ Union, said
workers are becoming agitated over frequent hartals and blockades, eating up their income.
If the situation goes no like this, the workers will be compelled at some time to besiege those
responsible for the blockades, he added. -UNB, Sherpur
