No respite in commuters' plight

A strike called by transport workers across the country continued yesterday, piling on the misery of people of all walks of life. Nearly all modes of public transportation remained off the streets yesterday as well, with agitators taking to the streets, blocking private vehicles and harassing people in some places, according to reports by our correspondents in Chattogram, Chittagong University, Sylhet, Rajshahi, Barishal, Cumilla, Mymensingh and Bagerhat (writing from Khulna).

CHATTOGRAM

Commuters' woes were aggravated in the port city due to rain since morning, as many faced difficulties to reach their destinations even on foot. Rickshaws and CNG-run auto rickshaws dominated the roads, with their drivers charging exorbitant fares.

As most schools were open despite the strike, a large number of students were seen stranded beside the roads in the rain.

Moitri Dhar, mother of a fifth-grader, was seen standing at Panirkal intersection, holding her son's hand, reluctant to let her son miss school for another day.

“It is nearly the end of the year and they have examinations ahead. No one seems to be thinking about children's education in the country,” she said.

A driver of a teachers' bus of Chittagong University was beaten up by transport workers at Bahaddarhat Bus Terminal area around 8:00am. He was admitted to Chittagong University Medical Centre.

Oli Ahmed, general secretary of Chattogram chapter of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Shramik Federation, said the attack was not carried out by transport workers. "We don't have any picketer on the streets. Some miscreants might have done this to tarnish our image,” he claimed.

Buses, running from Chattogram city to Chittagong University (CU) on special arrangement due to ongoing admission tests, were seen charging fares much higher than the rate fixed by the CU authorities, while CNG auto-rickshaws plying to and from campus were also seen charging passengers extra.

SYLHET

Even after an infant died at Baralekha upazila of Moulvibazar on the first day of the strike, transport workers continued blocking ambulances at different points of Dakshin Surma area in Sylhet city yesterday.

Hundreds of transport workers, divided in small groups and some of them carrying bamboo sticks, took position at different points in and around the city. They prohibited all buses, trucks, public transportation, and even private cars to ply the streets. Police stood nearby in many areas, but did not take any action.

Jahid Hossain came to Sylhet from nearby Golapganj to attend a hearing at the court. “I started early to reach on time, and half of the way, I had to walk. These transport workers should be stopped from calling such strikes,” he said.

Solaiman Ahmed, a businessman, was seen at Sylhet Railway Station in the afternoon. He had missed the train. “I had an emergency work in Dhaka, but could not reach the station on time. Now, there is no way I can go there today,” he said.

RAJSHAHI

Hundreds of passengers were forced to risk their lives boarding battery-run auto-rickshaws to travel to distant districts, as no buses plied due to the transport strike yesterday.

Auto-rickshaws occupied the city's bus stands at Bhadra, Gourhanga rail gate and Kasiadanga intersections, and were picking up passengers to Chapainawabganj, Natore and Naogaon.

Mohammad Manik, an auto-rickshaw driver of Belgharia village in Natore, was waiting at Bhadra bus stand. He said he drove six people some 45 kilometres to Rajshahi in the morning; three of them were patients.

“Conditions of two patients were critical. They cried in pain on the way. They boarded my auto-rickshaw finding no bus,” Manik said.

Auto-rickshaw drivers said police were allowing them on the highway considering sufferings of people. 

Aklima Khatun of Halsa area in Natore brought his father Alfaj Hossain on Saturday for treatment at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. When doctors released him yesterday, she found no buses at Bhadra bus stand.  “I know about risks or long route journey in an auto-rickshaw, but I had no other way,” Aklima said.

Transport workers, meanwhile, demonstrated at Seroil and Nawdapara bus terminals of the city supporting the strike.

MYMENSINGH

The Mymensingh railway station saw a mad dash of passengers, many of them in desperate situations, as road transport from Mymensingh remained halted.

An 80-year-old, Shariat Ali, who was discharged from Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH) yesterday after being treated for respiratory problems, had to spend the day at Mymensingh Railway Station as he found no way to get back home in Sunamganj.

 “As the transport strike is on, there is no scope for us to reach home but on train,” his son Royal Mia said, adding that his elderly mother was also with them and had to suffer.

Shampa Chakraborty, a young expecting mother, was also stuck at the railway station since Sunday. Shampa said she was admitted at MMCH with gynaecological complications, and had been waiting at the station since after her release from the hospital for a Kishoreganj-bound train. “It was not possible for us to stay at a residential hotel,” she added.

Both Royal and Shampa said they could not manage train tickets with seats, and expressed anxiety over whether they could board the train due to the intense rush.

CUMILLA

Only a handful of people were seen on the roads in Cumilla yesterday, as the transport strike forced most people, except for those who had emergencies, to stay home.

Transport workers took to the streets for the second day in Paduarbazar, Alekharchar and Mainamoti area on Dhaka-Chattogram highway. No buses were allowed to run, and passengers were seen returning from bus stations after failing to find any transport.

As BRTC's Cumilla depot also kept their buses parked, a rush of commuters was seen at the railway station, looking to board trains to Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet, Mymensingh and Kishorganj.

Shafiqul Alam, a delivery van driver, said “Our van was loaded yesterday but we are still stuck at Cumilla EPZ. Our employers don't want to take any risks.”

On the other hand, CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver Mohammad Robin, said “Though auto-rickshaws are prohibited from moving due to the strike, I have been driving it since 11:00am, to make enough money to buy food for my family. Demonstrators attacked my vehicle at two places, but I have no other way.”

BARISHAL

The second day of the nationwide strike went peacefully in Barishal, as no transportation, including BRTC buses, plied the Barishal-Dhaka highway and regional highways.

In the morning, some human hauliers and three-wheelers started plying the roads,   said witnesses.

Shah Alam, a bus worker at BRTC regional depot, said they stopped the bus service as their workers were attacked several times the previous day.

Some commuters had to travel on pick-up trucks to go their destinations, while some were seen waiting at Nathullabad and Rupatali bus stands, in hopes of finding transport.

KHULNA

A sense of anger prevailed among people of Khulna as they were restricted from traveling for the second consecutive day due to the strike.

''The transport workers are doing whatever they want. They have stopped plying of easy-bikes and auto-rickshaws, which could operate during hartal. They are even beating up passengers and covering passenger's faces with tar," said Joyonti Rani, a commuter headed to Bagerhat.

Bus counters at Sonadanga bus terminal and Shibbari, and Hotel Royal areas remained closed, as no inter-district and long-distance buses were allowed to head out of Khulna. Agitating transport workers were seen stopping micro-buses carrying school and college students, private cars and ambulances.

They also demonstrated at the Sonadanga terminal and in Zero Point areas, by burning tires on the streets.