Home ›› 05 Nov 2022 ›› Nation
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 the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
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 the three-wheeler auto-rickshaws are unavailable.
While the bus owners called the strike to demand a ban on the movement of auto-rickshaws on the highways, the three-wheelers want the authorities to allow them free movement there.
A transport strike before BNP’s anti-government divisional rallies has recently been common. Such strikes were called ahead of the opposition party’s rallies in Khulna, Mymensingh and Rangpur.
BNP’s Barishal divisional rally has been called to protest against the hike in fuel and essential commodities and to press home the party’s other demands including restoration of the constitutional provision of holding the general election under a neutral caretaker government.
The government has denied any link with the transport strikes coinciding with BNP’s rallies.
From Friday 12 am, microbus movement from and to the district had also been shut till November 5 for indefinite reasons, confirmed Md Farid, a member of the district microbus owners association.
Speedboat movement was halted on Wednesday evening while launch on Thursday morning amid BNP’s allegation that launch owners went on a sudden strike as per the government’s directive ahead of the rally slated for November 5.
Even the rental private cars refused to move on the road, according to passengers.
Many people were seen waiting at the launch terminals 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 on Thursday morning, to defy 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 destinations one day in advance, fearing the transport strike, which is set to begin on 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 the 5th one by the BNP at the divisional level as four others were held in Chattogram, Mymensingh, Khulna, and Rangpur.
Meanwhile, in Barguna, transport owners called for a two-day strike from Friday, demanding that three-wheelers be banned from the highways.
Barguna Bus Owners Association General Secretary Md Sagir Hossain confirmed the matter on Thursday night.
“If the administration does not ban the illegal plying of three-wheelers on the highways even after this two-day strike, we will go for an indefinite strike,” Sagir Hossain said.
Barguna Deputy Commissioner (DC) Habibur Rahman said it was decided to ban the movement of three-wheelers and auto-rickshaws on the highway in the district law and order meeting.
“However, the number of police force required to stop three-wheelers on such a big highway is not available to the district police. So it cannot be stopped,” he added.
Meanwhile, Barguna District BNP Member Secretary Advocate Tarikuzzaman Titu said the government is adopting various tactics to obstruct people from joining the rally in Barishal. “They will not succeed and Barishal will turn into a human sea on Saturday.”
A similar strike was also enforced ahead of BNP’s divisional rallies in Rangpur and Khulna, but thousands of party leaders, activists and supporters participated in the rallies overcoming the obstacles.
