Thousands of people living in Chuadanga and Mymensingh have suffered immensely as the transport owners and workers went on a transport strike for an indefinite period yesterday.
The transport workers in Chuadanga called the strike protesting the vandalism of two buses while drivers observed the strike protesting the ban on the operating of CNG-run auto rickshaw on highways.
In Chuadanga, transport workers put up a barricade of stagnant buses on Shahid Hasan Chattar road, causing all modes of transport to remain halted on all the streets of the district.
During the strike, no transport ran on the Chuadanga-Meherpur, Chuadanga-Jessore, Chuadanga-Jhenaidah, Chuadanga-Hatboalia and Chuadanga-Karpasdanga routes.
No long distance buses, trucks, lorries or covered-vans were seen operating on the roads during the strike.
Local commuters suffered the most because of the strike.
Salim Hayat, a businessman, came to the district from the capital and said he could not go to Dhaka because there was no transport availabile. “I am waiting for the end of the strike,” he said.
Hazera Bewa, a resident of Sadar upazila, said it was urgent for her to visit Jhenaidah for some family affairs, but she could not manage to get transport, even after waiting for hours. She said, “I would have to suffer again if I wanted to go back home.”
Rabiul Haque, a labourer leader, told the Dhaka Tribune that as bus owners demanded a ban on human hauliers on highways and roads, the human haulier workers had vandalised two buses in Nutun Bazar area of the district yesterday morning.
They also vandalised two buses at Daulatdia, he informed, adding that they had gone on strike protesting all the destructive activities of auto rickshaw drivers.
Abul Kalam Azad, General Secretary of Bus Owners’ Association demanded that the district administration immediately arrest the attackers and ensure their punishment.
He said they would continue the strike until their demands were met.
Their other demands include taking steps to stop police from taking illegal tolls on the roads and highways, putting an end to their harassment by BRTA authorities when issuing driving licenses and the withdrawal of ‘false’ cases filed against transport workers.
Mohammad Kamruzzan, additional assistant police commissioner, said they had a meeting with the transport workers, but they had yet to reach a consensus.
He said, “We are trying to resolve the crisis.”
In Mymensingh, transport workers observed a strike, protesting the ban on the operation of CNG-run auto rickshaw on highways.
They said they would continue their agitation programmes if the authorities did not withdraw their decision.
Abdur Nur, sergeant of Hatihata highway police out post, said as road accidents increased on highways because of the random operations of human hauliers, so the district administration had taken the decision to not allow unfit vehicles to operate on highways.
