Transport owners and workers in different districts on Friday suspended the Dhaka-bound transports fearing sabotage ahead of opposition’s “March for Democracy” programme slated for December 29.
Some of the transport owners claimed they took the decision for the sake of safety of the passengers while some said they were instructed from the higher authority to do so.
The opposition leaders highly condemned the move calling it a conspiracy of the government to foil their Dhaka March programme.
Barisal
Bus communication between Dhaka and Barisal has been suspended since Friday morning.
Aftab Hossain, president of city Sramik League and Barisal Bus Owners Association, said operation of Dhaka-bound passenger buses from Barisal and other parts of the region has been stopped from 11:30am on Friday.
Fearing loss of properties and lives, the transport owners and workers had declared to halt operations of the Dhaka-bound buses until further notice.
Hours after the suspension of bus service, launch services from Barisal to Dhaka have been suspended since Friday evening.
The passengers of four triple-deck launches at Barisal river port were asked to leave the vessels by law enforcing agencies around 6:30pm, reports our Barisal correspondent.
Md Selim, supervisor of Parabat launch fleet, said: “Officials of law enforcing agencies ordered us to suspend operations and forced passengers on board to leave the vessels.”
Dhaka-bound water transports had pre-reservation system for cabin passengers therefore the passengers were well-informed about the situation, said Rintu, owner of Dhaka-bound triple-decker launch MV Sundarban.
However, Barisal district administration and port authorities said they were not directed for restricting movement of Dhaka-bound transports.
The respective transport owners associations might decide on the movement of their vehicles, said Md Shahidullah, Barisal port officer.
Condemning the move of transport owners, Kamrul Ahsan Shahin, city BNP secretary, said the government had been opposing BNP’s blockade programmes so far.
“Now they are trying to foil our programme to prevent the ’mass upsurge.’ However, such moves would not save them from toppling,” said the BNP leader.
Aminur Rahman and Selina Begum, two Dhaka-bound passengers expressed anxiety over the suspension of Dhaka-bound buses from Barisal.
They said thousands of passengers had preparations according to their preplanned schedule. Many had urgent official works on December 29 as it was a Sunday. Now they have to suffer and go through losses.
Jhenaidah
Dhaka-bound passenger buses remained on halt for an indefinite period since Friday afternoon following the Jumma prayer. Twenty-seven buses scheduled for Dhaka from Jhenaidah returned money to their passengers who arrived at the counters to make the journey.
Staffs at the ticket counters said a sub-inspector from the Jhenaidah police station, following order of the higher authority, had advised them to refrain from setting off buses for Dhaka.
Jhenaidah Bus-Minibus Owners’ Association sources said they had been operating coaches.
Some coach owners said Sub-Inspector Milon had suggested them to shut the counters in the afternoon considering the Dhaka march of the opposition alliance.
However, Sub-Inspector Milon denied the acclaim and said he did not make any such order to the coach owners.
Superintendent of Police Altaf Hossain said the owners of the buses might stop their operations as per order from the government, however, police was not involved with any such direction, he claimed.
Contacted, Jhenaidah Bus-Minibus Owners’ Association authorities denied talking to this correspondent.
Meherpur
Ahead of the opposition’s programme “March for Democracy,” the transport owners, particularly Dhaka-bound passenger couches in Meherpur went on a strike in support to the government since Friday.
Usually 40 passenger couches leave for Dhaka from Meherpur every day, however, no couches left for Dhaka from the district since yesterday late afternoon without any prior notice.
As a result, hundreds of passengers remained stranded on the stations.
They alleged that they had fallen victims of such unethical and irresponsible decision taken by the authorities. Abdur Rashid of Monoharpur village under sadar upazila purchased four tickets from Meherpur JR counter on Thursday for going to Dhaka yesterday.
After reaching the counter with family members including woman and children amid the chilling cold, he got to know that departure of all the Dhaka-bound coaches had been cancelled.
Azizul Islam, counter manager of Meherpur Delux said during the early hours yesterday Dhaka Motor Sramik Okya Porishad instructed them to halt Dhaka-bound couches until further instruction.
Golam Rasul, president of upazila AL unit and general secretary of Meherpur Bus-Minibus Owners’ Association, said for the sake of security of the passengers they decided not to run the vehicles.
AKM Nahidul Islam said police did not intervene in their decision regarding suspension of the vehicles and it was completely an internal affair.
Masud Arun, former BNP law maker blamed the government for hatching a conspiracy for foiling the “March for Democracy” programme.
Sylhet
All kinds of long-route Dhaka-bound buses from Sylhet remained at a halt since Friday. Sources said local leaders of Proshashon O Bangladesh Sorok Poribohon Malik Sromik Union had imposed the temporary suspension fearing vandalism on the occasion of opposition enforced Dhaka March programme. . City BNP President MA Haque said leaders of the 18-party alliance willing to participate in the March, were facing trouble.
“Leaders could not reserve any bus. But they would participate in the programme overcoming all hurdles,” he added.
Additional Deputy Police Commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police Mohammad Aiyub said: “Police has not given any such orders. No written or unwritten orders were issued to suspend the long-route buses.”
However, Secretary of Dhaka-Sylhet Luxury Coach Road Sromik Union Md Tera Mia said: “We received an oral instruction in this regard.”
Police had been deployed in the central bus terminal in Dakshin Surma upazila since yesterday morning. The ticket sellers were instructed for not selling eight to 10 tickets at a time, he added.
He alleged that different petrol pumps were closed down since yesterday afternoon.
General Secretary of Sylhet-Moulovibazar Bus Minibus Sromik Union Md Abdur Rahim said: “The in-charge of Dakshin Surma police outpost ordered us not to run buses on long-route without approval.”
Bogra
All the bus trips from Bogra to Dhaka have been suspended since Friday evening.
However one or two buses may travel after midnight, Abdul Latif Mondol, president of Bogra Motor Workers Union told the Dhaka Tribune.
Mondol, who is also the vice-president of the organisation at Rajshahi zone, said same measures have been taken at Rangpur, Joypurhat, Rajshahi, Pabna and other northern districts.
He said the bus services have been for security reasons.
He added that trains were running normally.
