Passengers suffer through 8hr bus strike in Sylhet

Bus owners and workers in Sylhet observed an eight-hour strike in Sylhet yesterday, denouncing the newly-passed Road Transport Act 2018, causing sufferings to bus passengers of every route from Sylhet, many of whom were returnees from Durga Puja vacations.

In a prompt decision by Sylhet divisional committee of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation on Friday afternoon, they called the strike, effective from 6:00am to 2:00pm yesterday.

Due to the strike, no buses of long- and short- distance routes left Sylhet Bus Terminal in Kadamtali area since morning.

Hundreds of people were seen waiting for buses to ply again at Kadamtali. Many of them had purchased tickets earlier, but had nothing to do but wait at the bus counters.

The rush of passengers at the bus terminal was heavier than usual as it was the last day of the weekend, and the Durga Puja vacations for many also ended yesterday.

People wishing to travel to other upazilas of Sylhet from the city also had to suffer.

Meanwhile, as no buses were on the road, CNG-run auto-rickshaws started moving on the highways, charging excess fairs.

Around noon, the federation arranged a rally in the bus terminal area, where its leaders declared strikes on October 28 and 29, if their demand of amending the Road Transport Act 2018 was not fulfilled.

The rally was presided over by Selim Ahmed Folik, the president of the federation's Sylhet Divisional committee. Osman Ali, general secretary of the federation's central committee, was present as chief guest.

Although buses started plying the highways after 2:00pm, it took around two more hours for the situation to regain normalcy.