Communications Minister Obaidul Quader ordered for immediate dispatch of long-route state-run BRTC buses for regular operations on Sunday.
The minister made the order in a meeting held with law enforcers, transport owners and other quarters this afternoon.
The statement came amidst a suspension of the long-route state-run bus services during agitation programmes of the BNP-led 18-party alliance.
“The BRTC has been told to dispatch their buses immediately,” he asserted.
Obaidul Quader expressed discontent as the state-owned BRTC buses stopped transportation during blockades.
“All the private transportation companies are plying buses during blockade. However, being a public property BRTC is not moving outside of Dhaka,” he said.
He added: “Private transport will ply and the BRTC will sit idle during blockades – this cannot happen.”
“We are running our service in Dhaka and will decide on resuming bus service on long distance route,” BRTC Chairman Jasim Uddin Ahmed said.
Deputy Inspector General of Highway Police Asaduzzaman said: “The law enforcers would take necessary steps regarding security and we already formed a monitoring cell in this regard.
A total of 153 BRTC buses were vandalised and another 39 were set to fire during the recent blockades.