Bus services between Barishal and other parts of the country remained suspended from early Thursday following an attack on the government residence of Barishal Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Munibur Rahman on Wednesday night.
No bus has left the city’s Rupatali Bus Terminal and Nathullabad Central Bus Terminal.
A barricade has been created in around one kilometre area of the highway with the dumping trucks of Barishal City Corporation. As a result movement of all types of vehicles is stopped through the area.
Barishal-Patuakhali Bus Owners Association president Momin Uddin, who is also a member of Barishal city Jubo League, confirmed this to Prothom Alo.
He said operation of bus service has been stopped as several leaders and activists of Awami League, Bangladesh Chhatra League and Jubo League were injured when police opened fire and charged with batons at night.
Hundreds of activists of the district unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League, student front of ruling Bangladesh Awami League, attacked the government residence of the UNO twice on Wednesday night. Several Ansar members, employed to guard the UNO’s residence, were injured in the incident.
BCL claimed that at least 30 of their leaders and activists sustained bullet wounds and other injuries at the time.
UNO Munibur Rahman said posters of state minister for water resources Col. Zaheed Farooque were hung up to commemorate the National Mourning Day at different places on the Upazila Parishad premises. BCL men came to tear down those at night. The UNO asked them to tear down the poster on Thursday morning as people were sleeping then. But the BCL men abused him verbally and started picketing around his residence, he added.
Speaking about the incident, Barishal City Corporation mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah said, “I will seek an inquiry into the incident of gunfire. It is not possible to work as a mayor this way. The prime minister has administered my oath. My father is there. They will take the decision. I’ll resign if I have committed any offence.”
Sadiq Abdullah was talking to newspersons at Serniabat Bhaban at Kalibari, Barishal around 3:00am about the situation that unfolded at the Upazila Parishad.
News agency UNB adds: Besides, launch services in Barishal also remained suspended as the supporters of the mayor did not allow any passenger vessels to leave the terminal, causing immense sufferings to the commuters.