Commuters suffer for indefinite bus strike in Kushtia

An indefinite strike on Friday halted bus communication from Kushtia to Khulna and Faridpur causing immense sufferings to commuters in the region, reports UNB.

Kushtia District Bus Owners’ and Workers’ Solidarity Council enforced the strike on Friday morning protesting the attack on some of their transport staff by Jhenaidah workers’ union members on the night of 5 April.

General secretary of Kushtia Bus Minibus Owners’ Association Mokbul Hossain Lavlu said there had long been a dispute with Jhenaidah workers union over bus trips from Kushtia to Faridpur.

Some staff of Kushtia’s Gorai Paribahan were beaten up by the workers union over the demand of operating more trips to Faridpur, he alleged.

Protesting the attack, the strike on bus movement was called on two routes, Kushtia-Khulna and Kushtia-Faridpur, he said.

The transport leader threatened that a countrywide strike will be called unless the attackers are arrested by 9 April.

On the other hand, commuters have been facing severe sufferings caused by the sudden strike in the three districts.

People were seen waiting for hours at Kushtia’s Majampur bus depot and a bus terminal in Chudhas area.

Commuter Sheikh Alam Hossain said he and his family members were stranded at a ticket counter as no bus was leaving for Khulna from Kushtia due to the strike.

Just like him, many were seen waiting for buses for hours but no one knows when the strike will end.