Passenger bus services on the Sherpur-Dhaka route were abruptly halted on Friday night, ahead of the scheduled rallies of Awami League and BNP in Dhaka on Saturday.
All overnight bus services to Dhaka were abruptly canceled, and all Dhaka-bound buses stopped operation early Saturday.
Bus owners and drivers stopped bus movement, mentioning concerns about potential vandalism and security issues, said concerned individuals.
Sajib Ghosh, general secretary of the Sherpur District Transport Owners’ Association, said that no official orders were given to halt bus and coach services.
“However, bus owners and workers were afraid due to potential violence during the political rallies in the capital and decided not to operate their vehicles,” he said.
Buses traveling from Sherpur to Dhaka dropped off passengers at the Shambhuganj junction in Mymensingh on Friday afternoon.
Approximately 200 public transport vehicles typically ply the Sherpur-Dhaka route daily.
In addition to the bus service suspension, CNG-run auto-rickshaws that usually operate on inter-district routes have also been halted since Saturday morning. Some commuters have resorted to using easy bikes and private vehicles to travel on the highway.
Meanwhile, local BNP sources reported that despite the bus service suspension, at least 4,000 party leaders and activists from Sherpur had left for Dhaka several days before participating in the Nayapaltan rally in the capital. They had anticipated the bus service interruption on Friday and Saturday and had already set out for Dhaka in advance, they said.
