City dwellers mainly office-goers have been suffering as the number of public transport on Dhaka roads are comparatively lower than usual as a dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the BNP Paltan is underway across Bangladesh on Saturday.
Some bus owners have refrained from operating buses on the roads amid fears of violence, arson and vandalism.
Rickshaws and CNG-run auto-rickshaws are charging extra fares, taking advantage of the situation.
Meanwhile, the alert position of law and order forces has been seen on Dhaka streets since morning.
"I have to be at the office at 9am, so I left home at 7:30am. I still could not reach the office. I got off the bus because of the arson attack in Gulistan. Now I'm walking on foot,” said Mahfuz Alam, an employee of a private office.
He said: "Buses are running but there are very few buses on the road. After waiting for about 45minutes, I got one. Somehow, I have reached here.”
Munni Akhter, another employee of a private bank, expressed his anger as she had to suffer a lot on the road due to shortage of transports.
She said that she came to Gulistan from Mirpur overcoming many hurdles. The number of buses is thin on roads. I have come somehow. Now the bus will not go anymore because the bus has been set on fire at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram. There is no way to go by rickshaw as rickshaw pullers are charging double fare.
“Now I have to walk to reach my destination,” she added.
Though, some buses were plying on Gabtali, Shyamoli, Mohammadpur, Mirpur Road, Science Lab, New market, Agargaon, Bijaysarani, , Rampura, Badda, Farmgate, Karwan Bazar, Banglamotor, Paltan, Matsya Bhaban, Shahbagh, Press Club, GPO Point, Fulbaria bus stand and other routes, the number of vehicles on the roads is relatively less.
As a result, office-goers have faced much trouble.
Monwar Hossain, a duty staff of “Utshob Paribahan” bus said that the number of buses on roads decreased from the panic of arson attacks as the bus owners did not want to take any risk.
Miscreants on Sunday morning torched four buses in different parts of the capital.
Meanwhile, a large number of law enforcers from Police, RAB and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed at multiple important points across Dhaka to tackle any untoward incident.
Meanwhile, activists of the ruling Awami League and its associate bodies including Jubo League and Chhatra League were seen on the streets with party banners alongside the law enforcers.
