Indefinite bus strike on 8 southern routes

Transport owners and workers of Jhalakathi yesterday enforced an indefinite bus strike on eight routes in southern region, protesting alleged attacks on their fellows in Barishal.

Earlier in the day, several transport workers at the city’s Rupatoli Bus Terminal and some of their fellows from Pirojpur and Jhalakathi altercated over “increased terminal fees”, according to Jhalakati Bus Owners’ Association.

Bahadur Chowdhury, its secretary, said workers at the bus terminal demanded Tk 300 instead of Tk 200 and Tk 500 instead of Tk 300. They beat up workers from Pirojpur and Jhalakathi when they refused to pay the “extra fees”, he said.

Denying the allegation, Kawsar Hossan Shipon, secretary of Rupatoli Minibus Owners’ Association, said four to five transport workers of Barishal and Pirojpur clashed following a dispute over fee.

“We are trying to settle the matter, considering passengers’ sufferings,” he said.