Commuters have been bearing the brunt of the indefinite strike enforced by transport owners in all eight districts of Rajshahi division to press home their 10-point demand ahead of the divisional rally of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in Rajshahi on 3 December, reports news agency UNB.
Movement of all types of vehicles, except cars and microbuses, remains halted in the city since this morning – causing immense sufferings to the commuters.
Though only a BRTC bus left the Rajshahi bus terminal, other bus counters were found closed.
Ashraful Islam, who was waiting for transport in the city’s Talaimari intersection, told the news agency that he will have to pay extra fare to go to Bogura through Natore.
“Commuters like me are the worst sufferers due to the strike,” he observed.
Hoque Titu, general secretary of Rajshahi Road Transport Group, said no bus left Rajshahi and entered from other parts of the country as the strike is on.
In Natore, presence of all types of public transport is very thin, while commuters were seen standing by the road.
Some commuters were seen rushing to their destinations, taking CNG-run auto-rickshaws.
Rajshahi Divisional Transport Owners’ Association has enforced the strike since this morning, following a decision taken from a joint meeting at the office of Rajshahi Road Transport Group on Wednesday.
They claimed that the strike has no link with BNP’s rally, as they gave an ultimatum to meet their demands earlier.
On 26 November, the Divisional Transport Owners and Workers Solidarity Council gave an ultimatum to the authorities concerned to meet their 10-point demand by 30 November.
They called the strike for various demands including scrapping the Road Transport Act-2018 and banning movement of illegal three-wheelers and battery-run auto-rickshaws on highways by 30 November.
On the other hand, leaders and activists of BNP have started gathering at the rally venue, the madrasah ground, after law enforcers gave permission for the rally on eight conditions on Wednesday.
Ruhul Kuddus Talukdar Dulu, an organising secretary of the BNP and coordinator of the rally organising committee, said the party activists will stay at the rally venue from today, Thursday, and return home after making it a success.
BNP on 27 September announced a series of public rallies in 10 divisional and major cities. The party began the rallies by holding the first one in Chattogram on 12 October.
Transport owners and workers called strikes ahead of all the rallies in various cities, except in Chattogram and Cumilla.
BNP will end its divisional rallies through a mass gathering in Dhaka city on 10 December. The party is haggling with the government and law enforcers over the spot of its rally in the capital city.