Chattogram ports' product handling remained unaffected by the BNP-Jamat's three-day road, rail, and waterway strike, port sources said.
Products were delivered timely, and the authority stated that the blockade did not hamper them as deliveries were increased during the night.
According to port sources, 132 containers were delivered on Friday and 647 on Saturday. On Sunday, during the strike, 491 containers were delivered. While on Monday, 106 containers were delivered.
On Tuesday, the first day of the blockade, 105 containers were delivered, and on Wednesday, a total of 2,788 containers were delivered.
On the second day of the programme, miscreants torched a lorry. On Tuesday, BNP leaders and activists reportedly burned down public transport in different parts of the city.
Md Abdur Razzak, deputy assistant director of Agrabad Fire Service and Civil Defence said, “At around 3:30 pm, miscreants attacked a Dhaka-bound lorry in the Sheikhpara area with petrol bombs and set it on fire. Upon receiving the information, the fire service personnel went to the spot and brought the fire under control. The injured lorry driver was rescued from there and sent to hospital”
On Wednesday, intercity buses from Chattogram remained suspended. Traffic on the highway was limited, causing inconvenience to city dwellers who were struggling to commute to work.
Trains, however, continued to operate normally. The movement of local public transport, such as rickshaws, CNG auto-rickshaws, and minibuses, was also normal.
There are 117 bus routes from Chattogram to Dhaka, Cox's Bazar, Rangamati, Khagrachari, Cumilla, and other districts of the country. Buses from the city's BRTC bus terminal, Shuvopur bus stand, Kadamtali bus stand, third Karnafuli bridge area, AK Khan intersection, Alankar, Bahaddarhat bus terminal, and other areas did not operate.
Meanwhile, under the leadership of six executive magistrates, a team of BGB, RAB, police, and Ansar patrolled various points of the Dhaka-Chattogram highway. All points of the city are under police surveillance.
Mohammad Shahajahan, additional general secretary of the Chattogram Road Transport Owners' Association, said, "The number of public transport vehicles is less because there are hardly any passengers. Drivers, helpers, and owners are suffering financial losses due to the low number of passengers. Long-distance buses are not operating due to safety concerns."
Sazzad//Tanzia
