Traders worried as Dinajpur transport strike continues

Traders expressed serious concern as the indefinite strike by Dinajpur transport workers entered its third day yesterday.

Normal life remained halted completely in the district due to the strike, said local people.

All over the district, commuters suffered immensely as cars, microbuses and auto-rickshaws are not plying as the agitating workers tightened their strike from yesterday morning.

On Wednesday night, Transport Workers' Union and Road Transport Owners' Group in Dinajpur called the strike after students of Hajee Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU) torched two buses in front of their university following a clash with transport workers that left 10 people injured.

Road transport in Thakurgaon and Panchagarh also remained paralysed as the Dinajpur-bound buses of the two districts were not allowed to ply.

Risking life, hundreds of people gathered at Dinajpur Government College intersection and Phulbari Bus Stand area travelling on shallow-run three-wheelers, battery-run easy-bikes and vans for going to their destination in absence of buses.  

“Children and aging people are the worst sufferers due to the strike in this chilling cold,” said Kurban Ali of Panchbari area in Dinajpur Sadar.

The 55-year-old man was travelling on an easy-bike for going to Phulbari upazila, around 40km from Dinajpur.

“I pay Tk 40 as bus fare, but the easy-bike drivers are charging double,” he said.

Dinajpur Railway Station sees unusual crowding of passengers due to the situation. PHOTO: STAR

Farmers said huge quantity of winter vegetable are sent to other districts every day, but the trucks got stranded in Dinajpur due to the transport strike.

“We are suffering financial losses due to the strike,” said Azizul Islam of Ghoraghat upazila.

Meanwhile, a large amount of imported items, including onions and rice, are also stranded inside the Panama Hili Port Link Ltd in Hakimpur upazila of Dinajpur as traders cannot send them to other districts.

Besides, the port is facing problems to accommodate the imported items.

Harun-ur-Rashid, an importer of Hili land port, said import has to be stopped if the indefinite transport strike is not withdrawn immediately.