Strike badly affects life, halts businesses

As usual, the just-concluded transport strike that lasted three days brought untold sufferings to people as well as businesses across the country that came to a grinding halt.

The transport owners had been on strike since Friday in protest against the government’s abrupt hike in fuel price.

“We would not suffer if the discussion between government and transport owners took place two days earlier,” said Siddiqur Rahman, who was waiting for a bus at Mohammadpur Bosila Bus Stand on Sunday Morning.

“The trial court can function on an emergency basis. Can’t the BRTA officials hold a meeting at the weekends for an emergency?” the commuter vented his anger on this reporter when asked about his feeling. “They [BRTA] enjoy the holiday while ordinary people like us go through an immense suffering,” observed Siddiqur, who works for a private company in the Science Laboratory area in the capital and who lives in Bosila Housing.

Before raising the oil price, the government should have held talks with transport association leaders, he said, underscoring the need for coordination between the two parties.

Like Siddiqur, another commuter Mohammad Arafat was seen waiting for public transport for a long time in the Adabar area of the capital.

Without getting any transport, he expressed an utter frustration and asked this correspondent, “Anarchy has been going on for three days. Is there anybody to watch all this?”

“The authorities concerned just say tall talks. The bus owners will raise fare and money will go from the pockets of ordinary people. We are hostage to them,” according to Arafat, who works for a private company in Banani.

“It was too late for me to reach my office on Saturday. I am also worried that I won’t be able to turn up in time today (Sunday) as well.”

Last Wednesday, the government increased the price of fuel oil, diesel and kerosene by 23 per cent to Tk 15 per litre that forced the transport owners to go on strike that brought miseries to the city dwellers.

However, the strike was called off on Sunday evening after BRTA announced a new rate of bus fare.

In the morning of the day crowds of people were seen waiting to catch any mode of transport to get to their destination while rickshaw vans took the upper hand in that case.

On Sunday, the first workday of the week, traffic jams were evident on Airport Road, Banani, Mohakhali and Gulshan due to a large number of private cars, motorcycles and rickshaws.

The traffic had been moving at a snail’s pace in Kakrail, Bijoynagar, Topkhana Road, Shahbagh, Bangla Motor and Farmgate.

At least 10 people were seen rushing to a private car at Shyamoli and Agargaon intersections in a bid to get a ride. A few of them were lucky to get on the Mohakhali-bound car.

“I don’t feel like telling my destination and the reason for travelling anymore. No published news will reduce our plight. The strike will be over only when the transport owners want it,” said Toyob Ali, an annoyed passenger who missed the ride on that car.

Almost everyone who hired rickshaws, motorbikes or CNG-run auto-rickshaws alleged that they had to pay several times more than usual. Although the government offices remained closed in the past two days, but many private employees had have their offices open on Saturday.