Bus and launch services from Barisal to Dhaka have come to a halt amid tension ahead of BNP-led 18-party alliance’s march to Dhaka on Dec 29 and its rally in the capital. Buses from various other districts in the Khulna Division have also been grounded.
Supervisor of the Parabat Launch Company in Barisal, Selim Ahmed, said no vessels were leaving for Dhaka on Friday night.
He told bdnews24.com: “The local administration had asked us around 7:45pm to stop launch services.”
As a result, no ferry, including four that were supposed to, would leave for Dhaka, he said.
Meanwhile, no bus had left Barisal after 11:30am on Friday, said Aftab Hossain, President of the Barisal Bus Owners’ Association.
He said, “The owners themselves have stopped plying their vehicles from Barisal to Dhaka, fearing damage to their property.”
Bus owners and workers were taking no chances, he said, as buses and people had been burnt in the name of shutdowns and blockades.
They feared there could be more violence over Sunday’s BNP rally, Hossain added. – bdnews24.com
