At the central bus terminal in Bhola, on Wednesday, bus workers and CNG drivers engaged in chase-and-counter-chase clashes, with incidents of setting CNGs on fire.
Three CNGs were burned, and another three were vandalized.
The tension escalated, with both groups facing off against each other.
Earlier, on Tuesday night, a violent altercation took place between bus and CNG workers.
The clashes resumed on Wednesday around 11am.
In protest against the vandalism of buses and injuries to bus workers, the Bhola District Bus Owners' Association declared an indefinite bus strike across all internal routes from Tuesday midnight.
As a result, passengers traveling on these routes are facing extreme difficulties.
Since Wednesday morning, bus services on all internal routes in Bhola have remained suspended.
However, transportation in the six upazilas of Bhola continues as usual.
Bus workers have said that they will not return to work until justice is served for their injured colleagues and the burned buses.
On Wednesday morning, at the Birshreshtha Mostafa Kamal Bus Terminal, no passenger buses were seen departing for other upazilas in the district.
The suspension of bus services has caused severe inconvenience to passengers, forcing some to pay two to three times the usual fare for alternative transportation.
Although local police and navy personnel have brought the situation under control, passengers continue to suffer due to the halted bus services.
On Tuesday night, violent clashes erupted multiple times between bus workers and CNG drivers over parking CNGs inside the Birshreshtha Mostafa Kamal Bus Terminal.
During the clashes, five CNGs were set on fire, five were vandalized, and two buses were torched, with seven others damaged.
At least 40 people, including journalists and members of both groups, were reportedly injured.
Bus owners have announced plans to file cases against CNG drivers.
Fazlur Rahman Bacchu Molla, general secretary of the Bus Owners' Association, said: “According to municipal directives, we asked CNG owners to remove their vehicles from the terminal. In response, they got agitated and set our buses on fire, which led to clashes.”
On the other hand, Md Harun, general secretary of the CNG Workers' Federation, accused the bus owners, saying: “This incident was premeditated by the Bus Owners' Association. They set our CNGs on fire first. Even when we called the fire service, they locked the gate and did not help extinguish the flames.”
Bhola District Police Superintendent Mohammad Shariful Haque confirmed that the clashes were caused by disputes over interests between the two groups. “Several people were injured, and multiple vehicles were torched. Upon receiving the report, police, along with other law enforcement agencies, intervened and brought the situation under control. Everything is now normal. We will investigate and take legal action against those involved.”
As of Wednesday evening, no steps had been taken to lift the bus strike.