Bus owners launch strike after alleged attack on leader

Owners went for a bus strike in Dinajpur's Parbatipur yesterday morning, hours after one of their leaders came under an attack with sharp weapons by unidentified criminals.

Md Foyzar Rahman, general secretary of Parbatipur Upazila Bus Owners' Association, was stabbed in different parts of his body on Monday night while he was walking to his Rahmatnagar residence in Parbatipur, said AZM Menhazul Haq, president of the association.

The bus service on all routes from the upazila remained suspended since 6:00am yesterday in protest against the attack on Foyzar, also vice president of Parbatipur Poura Awami League, he said.

Talking to The Daily Star, Menhaz said when Foyzar went close to his residence around 11:30pm, a gang wearing helmets started stabbing him indiscriminately and fled the scene of the crime soon after.

Hearing screams, locals rushed to the spot and took him to M Abdur Rahim Medical College Hospital.

The suspension of bus operations caused suffering to commuters trying to reach their destinations.

The bus strike continued till the filing of this report at 9:00pm yesterday as no arrest was made in this connection, said Menhazul.

Contacted, Parbatipur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Imam Zafar said they were yet to get any complaint over the incident. "However, we are trying to identify and arrest the attackers," he added.