Transport workers occupy Dhaka streets, halt bus services

Bus services from Dhaka's major bus stops -- Gabtoli and Sayedabad -- came to a complete halt on Friday morning as transport workers occupied several streets.

The transport workers took the position on the Sayedabad-Jatrabari road in the morning demanding safety of their lives.

The workers claimed they could not drive vehicles in the past five days. They were even beaten on-duty.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner (Wari Division) Farid Uddin told Prothom Alo that the workers were staying on the roads peacefully while the police were working to ensure security for general public.

Another group of transport workers occupied the Kalshi road in the Mirpur area halting the movement of the vehicles there.

The transport workers also took position at the Mirput-10 intersection.

Transport owners and workers said no vehicles left Gabtoli bus stop since the morning (Friday).

Asked about the matter, manager of Satkhira Express Md Borhan said workers were fearing for their safety.

He alleged that bus services have been stopped due to vandalisation of vehicles.

The transport workers earlier shut down the bus services on Thursday from Gabtoli, Mahakhali, Sayedabad, and Fulbari bus terminals in the capital without any notice, which is against the law.

As per the transport law, route permit will be cancelled if the transport services are shut down without any notice.

The transport workers staged the demonstration following a five-day protest of the students after two of their fellow students were killed in a road accident in the capital on 29 July.

On the fifth day, the student movement took a new turn as thousands of students apparently took total control of the city’s traffic system and scrutinised licenses of the drivers and vehicles.

They even examined licenses of the minister, member of the parliament, government officers and law enforcers.

Later, the student agitation spread across the nation.

On 29 July, Diya Khanam Mim and Abdul Karim Rajib, students of Shaheed Ramiz Uddin School and College, were killed as a ‘Jabal-e-Noor Paribahan’ bus ploughed through some students in front of the airport road in the capital.