Dhaka – Communication of the capital with several districts remained snapped since Friday morning as bus and launch services have been suspended “fearing violence” ahead of the opposition’s March for Democracy towards Dhaka scheduled to be staged on Sunday.
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia announced the programme on December 24 calling upon people from all walks of life to march towards Dhaka carrying the national flag to press home their demands for having the next national election under a non-party neutral administration.
Pro-Awami League owners and workers suspended the operation of buses and launches on several routes while many others were ‘forced’ to stop the services.
In Rajshahi, transport workers loyal to the ruling party on Friday called a strike on Rajshahi-Dhaka route until Sunday for ‘security reasons’.
District Motor Workers’ Union enforced the strike at 5pm Friday and it will end on Sunday evening.
Bus services of Barisal and other parts of the region were also stopped in the morning.
Aftab Hossain, president of Barisal Bus Owners’ Association, said the operation of Dhaka-bound passenger buses from Barisal and other parts of the region were suspended at 11:30 am fearing the loss of lives and property through acts of sabotage over the March for Democracy programme.
The trips of other buses to Dhaka from some districts in the Khulna division have also been cancelled.
No bus had left after 11:30am on Friday, said Aftab Hossain, president of the Barisal Bus Owners’ Association.
“The owners themselves have stopped plying their vehicles from Barisal to Dhaka, fearing damage to their property,” he said.
“Bus owners and workers have panicked as bus and people were being burnt in the name of shutdown and blockade.”
They feared there could be more violence over the Sunday’s BNP rally, he said.
Ticket counter staff at the Sayedabad Bus Terminal said no bus had been started for Dhaka from Khulna, Bagerhat and Pirojpur since Friday morning.
Two trips had started from Dhaka to Bagerhat and Pirojpur but none had started from the two districts, Hira, a ticket-seller at the Sayedabad Terminal’s Baleshwar Paribahan told bdnews24.com.
“Police are not allowing the movement of buses because of concerns for safety. That is why we cannot run our buses.”
Baleshwar Paribahan transports passengers by launch. It takes them to Mawa Ghat, where they cross the Padma and resume their journey to Bagerhat, Pirojpur and Khulna in another bus. The same procedure is followed when passengers start for Dhaka from those districts.
Falguni Paribahan Counter officer Shafiqul Islam told bdnews24.com: “We have no vehicles coming from Khulna, Bagerhat, Rayenda or Pirojpur. We took the risk of running a vehicle in the morning. We do not know if it will get any ferry.”
No vehicles would leave the terminal without permission from the transport owners, he said.
Sundarban Counter’s Masud said almost the same thing.
“No vehicle can come in. If all vehicles go in the same direction, we will face problems. So we are running our cars from here carefully.”
bdnews24.com sports editor Abdul Momin from Chuadanga said he had bought a Purbasha Paribahan ticket at 1:30pm on Friday to come to Dhaka but was informed later that the bus would not leave.
Similar transport strikes have also been enforced on Sylhet-Dhaka, Meherpur-Dhaka, Bagerhat-Dhaka, Pirojpur-Dhaka, Bhola-Dhaka routes.
Launch services on various river routes, including Bhola-Sadarghat, Fularhat (Pirojpur)-Sadarghat and Barisal-Sadarghat, also remained snapped. – UNB
BNP chief Khaleda Zia has urged the people to converge on Dhaka on Dec 29 as a step towards resisting the Jan 5 elections.
Awami League leaders threatened to resist it if any act of violence or sabotage took place. – bsnews24.com
