Government provisioning of a “special bus service” to help RMG workers go home for Eid-ul-Fitr, from Gazipur reportedly not in service.
The Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) made a special arrangement of as many as 59 buses, including 30 buses to be kept ready at Gazipur yesterday for RMG workers to go home for Eid, said deputy general manager (operation) of BRTC, Moniruzzaman Babu, to the media on Saturday.
On spot visits to the BRTC bus depot in Gazipur city's Technagarpara yesterday, showed BRTC staff sticking “Eid Special Service” stickers on buses that were later seen standing in queue on the adjacent Dhaka-Mymensing Highway.
A total of 30 buses have been booked to transport RMG workers, said BTRC Instructor Tamij Uddin. Local BRTC authorities said that all arrangements are set for the special Eid service.
However, apparel workers in Gazipur say they have been unable to access that service. BRTC authorities couldn’t clarify why this was the case.
Poli, a swing operator at CA Garments Limited in the area, said she left her workplace in the morning for home and had no idea about the government’s special Eid transportation arrangement for RMG workers.
“I came to the Chanda intersection at 10am and couldn’t manage to board any bus till 12pm, let alonet any BRTC bus exclusively for RMG workers,” said another worker, Russell, who works at a clothing factory in Tongi.
The workers blamed both factory owners and BRTC authorities for not letting them know about the BRTC Eid service.
“We couldn’t inform our workers as no one let us know about the Eid special service,” said Syed Shamshur Rahman, general manager (human resource and administration) at Khantex Fashions Limited.
Another general manager (human resource and administration) from Shuhhur Khan echoed Rahman.
Meanwhile, BRTC took initiatives to raise driver awareness among those who will operate the special service buses.
“The drivers have received training on road management and how to behave with passengers,” said Instructor Tamij Uddin.
The Dhaka Tribune approached BRTC Deputy General Manager, Engineer Fatema Begum, but she was unavailable for comment.
“Engineer Fatema joined the office after three days. She is busy and won’t talk to the media now,” Instructor Tamij Uddin told Dhaka Tribune.
