Dhaka, Oct 28 (Just News): People’s suffering has reached its peak as a 48-hour nationwide transport strike is under way since Sunday morning.
Transport workers under the banner of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation (BRTWF) have enforced the strike to press their eight demands, including the amendment to the recently-enacted Road Transport Act 2018.
Rickshaws as well as motorcycles, mostly ride-sharing services, are seen dominating the streets in Dhaka.
Incidents of unwanted events were reported in the capital with commuters facing harassment by transport workers.
In the city’s Jatrabari area, transport workers allegedly poured engine oil on private cars, harassed rickshaw-passengers.
Some workers have even seen painting faces of the private car divers with tar and engine oil.
In Dhaka, transport workers obstructed ride-hailing services and auto-rickshaws through Jurain, Shanir Akhra and Jatrabari – an entry point to the capital.
Private car owners and auto-rickshaw passengers were allegedly forced to step down from their vehicle and walk. Several commuters made similar complains.
Drivers of public transports and private cars were assaulted for defying the strike. Black oil was smeared on several drivers for daring to defy the strike.
In Narayanganj, transport workers smeared black oil on some schoolgirls – inciting public outrage, our local correspondent reports.
The incident took place at Shimrail area of Shiddhirganj, Narayanganj, on Dhaka-Chattogram and Dhaka-Sylhet highways around 1:00pm.
Demonstrators stopped the bus of Narayanganj Govt Women’s College, got on board and assaulted the driver, said bus driver Mojibor Rahman.
They vandalised the bus windows, smeared burnt oil on the driver’s face and threw the oil at some five students who voiced protest.
Bedoura Binte Habib, principal of the college, confirmed the incident saying the demonstrators threw burnt oil at some female students. “They did not assault the girls.”
High-ups in the police force have been informed about the incident and steps will be taken as per directives, said MollaTaslim, inspector of Narayanganj District Traffic Police.
In Chapainawabganj, public buses did not ply the roads, causing suffering to commuters and those who intended to travel long distances, reports our local correspondent.
Goods-laden trucks did not leave Sona Masjid land port to other districts, said Ekramul Haque, secretary of Clearing and Forwarding Agents’ Association of the land port.
However, railway service was normal, and many people opted for train to reach their destinations.
In Sylhet, no buses, trucks or any other means of public transports were seen in most of the roads and highways in the district.
Transport workers also created barriers to movement of private vehicles, even for motorcycles, at every point in the city, suburbs and highways.
Our correspondent saw barriers at Kadamtali Bus Terminal, Humayun Rashid Chattar and Kumargaon Bus Terminals. No public vehicles were running.
People gathered at Sylhet Railway Station to get on board trains for long routes. The trains to Dhaka left Sylhet, overladen with passengers.
In Mymensingh, the scenario was quite similar as many people were seen waiting helplessly for means to travel to their destinations.
People travelling to Dhaka were seen forming long queues at Mymensingh Railway Station waiting to get on board trains to reach the capital.
Talking to our local correspondent, some passengers and auto-rickshaw drivers alleged that the transport workers were halting vehicles at different points in the city.
In Chandpur, Manikganj and Satkhira, all public transports were off the roads in solidarity with the transport strike, but some rickshaws ran in the city.
In Jhenidah, the scenario was the same. Some transport workers were seen buring tyres on the roads to create barrier to movement of private vehicles and rickshaws.
In Khulna and Bagerhat, thousands of passengers suffered due to the transport strike. In particular, students who went to take part in the first year admission test of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) suffered the most.
The internal and long-distance buses did not ply in the cities due to the strike. All bus counters were seen closed at Sonadanga Bus Terminal and Shibbari area.
