Barguna transport owners threaten strike, police raiding BNP men houses

Barguna district bus owners group has threatened to enforce a two-day long transport strike from Friday ahead of the BNP rally in Barishal to press home their two-point demand.

The mass rally of BNP in Barishal will be held on Saturday.

The group president Golam Mustafa on Thursday afternoon confirmed the matter.

He said they submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner on Thursday to stop the movement of three wheelers on Barguna-Barishal regional highway as well as roads across Barguna.

The group threatened in the memorandum that they will suspend the bus operation in all internal routes in Barguna for an indefinite period from Friday if the movement of three-wheelers is not banned by Thursday.

Earlier, on 25 October, the Barishal district bus owner group called a transport strike on Friday and Saturday.

Barguna district BNP alleged the strike was called in accordance with the instruction of the ruling Awami League (AL) to foil the BNP rally.

They also claimed that centering the rally, police are raiding the houses of BNP leaders and activists of Barguna sadar and Betagi upazila. These drives are being conducted from midnight to around 4:00am.

However, police said they have raided the residents of BNP leaders and activists as a part of their operation to thwart the subversive activities.

Several leaders of BNP and its associate bodies, on condition of anonymity, told that police launch such searches in BNP men’s houses ahead of any massive rally of the party. The BNP men need to stay away from their houses to escape the arrest.

Betagi upazila BNP’s convener Humayun Kabir Mallick said police have been raiding BNP men’s houses in different areas of the pourashava for the whole night for the last three days.

He, however, said police would not be able to foil their rally by carrying out such raids.

Betagi pourashava BNP's convener Zakir Hossain said, "I'm staying in Barishal to attend a teacher's training. But the police raided and searched my house on Wednesday night leaving my wife and daughter scared."

Asked about the matter, Betagi police station’s officer-in-charge Md Shah Alam Hawlader said, "We have raided the houses on the allegation that some BNP leaders-activists have stockpiled arms to carry out subversive activities. But no arms were found and no BNP men were arrested in those raids."

Barguna district AL’s organising secretary Golam Sarwar told Prothom Alo on Thursday afternoon that the BNP leaders are blaming AL men for obstructing the rally sensing that their programme would fail.