Barishal transport strike ahead of BNP rally hits commuters hard

Commuters were hit hard after all modes of transportation went off the streets in Barishal on Friday, just a day before a divisional rally called by opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), reports news agency UNB.

Barishal city has virtually been cut off from the rest of the country after the two-day transport strike got underway on Friday. Buses, launches, speedboats, microbuses and even three-wheeler auto-rickshaws are unavailable in Barishal.

The bus owners called the strike to demand a ban on the movement of auto-rickshaws on the highways.

On the other hand, the three-wheelers want the authorities to allow them free movement on the highways.

A transport strike right before a divisional rally from BNP has recently been a very common occurrence. Similar strikes were called ahead of the opposition party’s rallies in Khulna, Mymensingh and Rangpur.

BNP has called a divisional rally in Barishal to protest against the hike in prices of fuel and essential commodities and to press home the party’s other demands including restoration of the constitutional provision of holding general elections under a neutral caretaker government.

The government has denied any link with the transport strikes coinciding BNP’s rallies.

From Friday 12:00am onwards, microbus movement from and to the district has also been shut till 5 November for undisclosed reasons, confirmed Mohammad Farid, a member of the district microbus owners association.

Speedboat movement was halted on Wednesday evening while launch operation stopped on Thursday morning.

BNP alleged that launch owners went on a strike suddenly as per the government’s directive ahead of the rally, slated for 5 November.

Even the rental private cars refused to move on the road, according to passengers.

Many people were seen waiting at the launch and bus terminals without being able to reach their destination.

Meanwhile, BNP leaders and activists started gathering at Barishal city’s Bangabandhu Park to attend the party’s divisional rally from Thursday morning, defying all the transport bans.

Barishal’s central bus terminal in Nathullabad was overcrowded on Saturday night as hundreds of commuters arrived to leave for their destination one day in advance, fearing the transport strike, which is set to begin from Friday morning.

“I had a plan to go to Dhaka on Friday, but I came here a day early keeping Friday’s transport strike in mind,” said Subarna Pal, a commuter.

“I’ve come here two days earlier due to the transport strike. Finding no other place, I’m staying at my relative’s house,” said Sadikur Rahman, a Jubo Dal activist from Patuakhali.

The rally in Barishal will be BNP’s fifth divisional rally. The previous four rallies were held in Chattogram, Mymensingh, Khulna and Rangpur.