Mymensingh-Dhaka bus service halted with no warning, commuters in trouble
Centering BNP and Awami League’s rallies in the capital tomorrow (Saturday), no buses are travelling from Mymensingh to Dhaka. Commuters have fallen into great trouble with the bus service halting without prior notice.
While visiting Maskanda Bus Terminal in Mymensingh city on Friday morning, no buses were seen leaving for Dhaka. The ticket counter of Ena Bus service at Maskanda terminal was shut.
There were no Dhaka-bound buses found at city’s Akua bypass, Shikarikanda bypass areas either. Usually Dhaka-bound buses coming from Mymensingh’s Phularia, Muktagacha as well as Sherpur and Jamalpur wait for passengers at those two bypasses.
Some of the passengers who came to Maskanda bus terminal on Friday morning were returning home while some others were found trying to leave for Dhaka in alternative ways.
A group of five from Char Dhakirkandi village in Phulpur upazila of Mymensingh had come to Maskanda terminal to go to Shariatpur. Finding no buses there, they agreed on returning home. They were supposed to go to Shariatpur for a job as paddy harvesting workers.
One of the five, Md Joynal said that it cost them Tk 200 to reach Mymensingh and it would cost them Tk 200 more to return home. They just spent Tk 400 in vain.
Many other commuters were looking for alternative ways of travelling to Dhaka from Maskanda terminal. A commuter named Soma Akhter said she works at a readymade garments factory in Gazipur and she plans to travel there taking several CNG-run auto rickshaws.
No statements from Ena Paribahan authorities could be found on the reason of their bus service being halted for the ticket counter being shut down.
Mymensingh transport owners’ association general secretary Shomnath Saha said that the Dhaka-bound bus service has been halted as the bus owners are worried over BNP’s rally in Dhaka. Bus owners have the fear that BNP might start vandalism in the name of holding rally.
BNP on the other hand complained that the bus movement has been suspended centering BNP’s rally in Dhaka tomorrow, Saturday. Joint convener of Mymensingh city BNP Abu Wahab Akanda told Prothom Alo, “The government says one thing, but does exactly the opposite.”
“Suspending the bus service reveals this government’s fascist nature. Police had been on watch in front of many of our leaders’ houses even on Thursday night, so that nobody can get out of their houses,” he added.