Transport strike, enforced by the transport owners and workers association, caused immense sufferings to the city dwellers as well as commuters yesterday.
Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Malik-Sramik Oikya Parishad, an association of transport owners and workers, enforced the day-long 12-hour strike from 6am yesterday in protest against killing of Khairul Alam Mollah, the secretary general of Sayedabad Bus Terminal Owners Association and organising secretary of ruling Awami League’s Demra unit.
Miscreants shot and hacked Khairul to death on Tuesday at Samobaoy Bank Bhaban in capital’s Motijheel area.
Despite being weekly holiday, the strike largely affected normal city life as government and private sectors scheduled their different programmes including the examinations of Junior School Certificate (JSC) and tests for other jobs and businesses on yesterday.
Being frustrated, the city dwellers said they were really in a fix what to do as just a day after the 60-hour shutdown, called by BNP-led 18-party alliance, the transports strike multiplied the miseries of the commuters as many works remained pending for the weekend.
“Post-hartal transport strike increased our agony. My kid will sit for Junior School Certificate (JSC) examination today at Segun Bagicha High School but there is no transports here,” said Rokeya Jamshed, a mother of a JSC examinee at Rayerbagh bus stand at about 11am.
There were some private vehicles and rickshaws on the street but they were demanding extra fare taking the advantages of bus strike.
Siab Uddin, an empolyee at a private office, said the office failed to function during the three-day hartal, so it was scheduled to be opened yesterday.
“I came out from my Mohammadpur residence for my Motijheel office, I tried to rent a CNG-run three-wheeler, but the driver demanded Taka 350,” he said.
Rickshaws and auto-rickshaws dominated the city streets. However, no long-route bus left Mohakhali, Sayedabad and Gabtoli terminals in the morning.
Meanwhile, the transport owners and workers association reduced the day-long strike by six hours to last it till 12pm in view of the inconveniences of the JSC examinees.