Bus services on all routes from Rajshahi were suspended on Tuesday following a dispute over the formation of the Motor Workers’ Union election management committee, leaving hundreds of long-distance and inter-district passengers stranded.
No buses departed from Rajshahi’s Shiroil and Naodapara bus terminals from Tuesday morning. However, Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) buses continued operating.
Nazrul Islam Helal, general secretary of the Rajshahi Road Transport Group and secretary general of the North Bengal Road Transport Association, said they had not instructed anyone to halt bus services.
“Some workers have gone on strike in defiance of the deputy commissioner’s decision. They also assaulted two workers, Momin and Shahjahan,” he alleged.
Helal further claimed that a section of workers wanted to take control of the union without following its constitution.
“However, the administration has taken the initiative to restore services, and bus operations are expected to return to normal soon,” he said.
According to transport leaders, tensions began over the formation of the Motor Workers’ Union election management committee.
A meeting involving the district administration, bus owners and worker representatives was held at the deputy commissioner’s conference room on Monday afternoon.
A faction allegedly opposed to holding the election walked out of the meeting after rejecting the decision, vandalized Helal’s office and later announced the suspension of bus services.
Following the announcement, passengers travelling to Dhaka and other destinations were left in uncertainty.
Passenger Sagar said: “I urgently need to travel to Dhaka today. But when I arrived at the terminal, I found that bus services had been suspended. I couldn’t get a train ticket either. Now I have to hire a CNG-run auto-rickshaw to Natore to catch a bus.”
Rajshahi Metropolitan Workers’ Party president and transport workers’ leader Rafiqul Islam Pakhi said the dispute stemmed from disagreements over the election management committee.
He alleged that one group was attempting to disrupt the transport sector despite the administration’s efforts to resolve the issue.
“We demand that bus services resume immediately so that passengers do not continue to suffer,” he said.
Rajshahi District Motor Workers’ Union member Ershad Ali Paltu said the strike would continue until the workers’ demands were met.
Sources said workers returned from Monday’s meeting and announced an indefinite suspension of bus services from Shiroil bus terminal, demanding a neutral election management committee.
Long-distance buses were allowed to complete their return trips overnight, but no buses departed from Rajshahi after Tuesday morning. Although most ticket counters remained open, operators could not say when services would resume.
Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner Kazi Shahidul Islam said a section of workers wanted to hold a general meeting and form an election committee immediately.
“That is not possible at this stage. We are working to resolve the issue,” he said.
Helal condemned the suspension of services, saying: “Differences of opinion can arise during meetings. But stopping buses and attacking my office is unacceptable. We are the owners, and we want bus services to continue.”