'Our strike is over, so we have brought out our vehicles again'

After almost 21 hours, ferryboats began crossing Rupsha river in Khulna from 5:00 in the afternoon on Saturday. After 36 hours, buses of all routes began operating from the central bus terminal in Bagerhat. Passenger buses also started out from the Rupsha bus stand to Mongla in Bagerhat and other destinations.

Labour leaders claimed that they had ended their 'strike' and began ferry operations in consideration of the passengers' sufferings and also after receiving assurances from the administration. However, the bus drivers and assistances at the Rupsha bus stand had a different narrative. Some of them, on condition of anonymity, told Prothom Alo, "Our 'hartal' is over. The leaders told us and that is why we have resumed our service."

Earlier on Friday morning the owners association called for a 'bus strike' along 18 routes from Khulna. Then suddenly after Friday evening the boatmen association stopped their ferryboats too.

Rupsha upazila and Bagerhat are east of the ferry-ghat and Khulna city to the west. The ferryboats cross the river day and night. But suddenly on Friday evening the entrance to the ferry ghat was blockaded with bamboo poles, planks and boards. No one was able to travel towards Rupsha and Bagerhat. Awami League leaders and activists were also not allowing people to cross the Rupsha bridge one and a half kilometres south of the ferry ghat.

BNP held its divisional public rally at the Sonali Bank Chattar today, Saturday, in Khulna. The party claimed that the Khulna district bus owners association had observed the two-day (21 and 22 October) strike and the ferryboat crossings were halted simply to thwart BNP leaders and workers from coming to join the rally. General secretary of the East and West Rupsha engine boats association, Md Shahadat Hossain Bepari, denied these allegations.

He told Prothom Alo that they had resumed ferryboat crossing in consideration of the passengers' sufferings. He said, "We have called a strike in demand of higher fare. When the price of fuel was Tk 50 a litre, we charged 3 taka to cross the river. Now fuel costs Tk 110 and we still charge 3 taka. That is why we had stopped the ferryboats. The administration has assured us that the fare will be increased. We hope this will be fulfilled soon."

The Rupsha inter-district bus-minibus owners association's general secretary Mustafizur Rahman said the same. He said they had called the strike demanding a halt to the operations of Nasimon-Karimon and other illegal modes of transport. They withdrew their strike after receiving assurances from the authorities. If their demands were not met, they may call the strike again.