Although the transport owners announced to accept half fare from students on condition in the face of widespread student protest, it is hard to expect any long-term solution for the prevailing problem.
Students took to the street for two weeks in demand of half fare. They held a demonstration in front of (Bangladesh Road Transport Authority) BRTA building on Tuesday. During the protest, Khandaker Enayet Ullah, on behalf of the Transport Owners' Association, announced that he would accept the students' demand for half fare.
However, it has been stipulated that the half bus fare will be implemented in Dhaka city only, students will be able to avail this facility by showing the identity card of their respective educational institution and they will not get this facility during winter or summer vacation. Students from all over the country are protesting in demand of half fare.
Why is this facility given only in Dhaka city? The financial situation of students outside Dhaka city is poorer. In that case, they should get half pass facility first. Even if it is not a long distance bus, this facility must be available in the local buses.
The students did not accept the owners' proposal. They said, they would not accept the conditional announcement, and the movement will continue till the 9-point demand is implemented. They demanded not just verbal announcements but a circular has to be issued in this regard. Students have also staged protests outside Dhaka demanding half pass.
Students in Chattogram staged protests in different parts of the city demanding half fare on Monday and Tuesday. Hundreds of students from different educational institutions in Chattogram took part in the protest. One student after another is dying on the road, said one student. They want a remedy so that no mother has to lose her beloved child.
Now the government has to understand that the student movement is not limited to the demand of half fare. Three tragic accidents took place in Dhaka during the student movement demanding half fare. Naeem Hasan, a student of Notre Dame College, was crushed by a garbage truck of Dhaka South City Corporation in Gulistan last week.
Just a day later, another garbage truck of North City Corporation killed media worker Ahsan Kabir Khan in Panthapath. A student named Mainuddin Islam was killed as two buses of two transport companies were trying to overtake each other in Rampura on Monday night. According to Prothom Alo, the persons driving the vehicles of the two city corporations were not licensed drivers of the city corporation.
In view of the overall anarchy on the road, the students are agitating for a 9-point demand including implementation of the road safety act which is not unreasonable. If there is no safety of the commuters on the road, what will be the use of half-pass? Those who have killed people by reckless driving must be brought to justice. Due to lack of justice, our roads and highways have turned into death traps. The chaos on the road must be stopped.
Therefore, we will call for the introduction of half pass for students not only in Dhaka city but all over the country. Wastage of time is not acceptable about the implementation of the road safety act that the government made in 2018 in response to the demands of the students. The government cannot defy its own law.