Dhaka-Ctg highway blocked

Travellers on Dhaka-Chittagong highway were stranded for five hours yesterday after transport workers blocked the road protesting pro-ruling party men's extortion from buses and attack on the workers.

Buses were parked blocking the highway at several places in Comilla around noon, creating a 20km-long tailback on the country's busiest highway.

“I boarded a bus from Shashongasa Bus Terminal with my ailing father to visit a doctor in Dhaka and we were stuck at Alekhachar for hours. The bus had to return to the terminal,” said Shahidul Islam, who is the chairman of the political science department of Comilla Govt College.

Assistant Education Officer Rowshan Ferdous of Sonaimuri Upazila told The Daily Star that she was going to Dhaka but got stuck for about five hours on the highway.

Transport owners said all inter-district buses that use Ashrafpur Bus Terminal have to pay Tk 100 illegal toll. More than 1,000 buses use the terminal a day. Ruling party men and transport union workers collect the toll taking turns every other year, they claimed.

Workers got angry yesterday morning after ruling party men wanted to take full control of the illegal toll collection, bus owners said requesting anonymity.

General Secretary Ali Monsur Faruk of Comilla Motor Association said a group of people led by Dulal Hossain Opu began collecting toll at Poduar Bazar area of Comilla in the name of ruling Awami League and its associate organisations.

This led to a clash between transport owners, workers and the ruling party men. Transport workers Mohammad Ali and Kazi Motaher Hossain were assaulted. Several vehicles were vandalised as well.

Ali and Motaher had to be hospitalised.

Witnesses said the bus owners went for the blockade soon after the news of Ali and Motaher getting injured spread around noon. Agitating workers also burnt tyres on the highway and demanded arrest of Opu. 

The blockade was withdrawn around 5:30pm following local administration's assurance of legal action against the culprits.

But by then, people travelling on the highway were stranded for five hours.

Abdul Malek Bhuiyan, general secretary of Sadar Dakkhin Upazila Awami League, admitted that Opu was indeed a ruling party man and the problem was about illegal toll collection.

He, however, said it was not a party affair and the ruling party had nothing to do with it.