Hartal becomes work-vibrant

The ongoing hartals and over two-month-long indefinite blockade seem to have fizzled out.

Tired of the prolonged agitation by the BNP-led alliance, people in big cities and district towns are coming out of their homes in large numbers to carry out their regular work.

Local and inter-district bus operators have increased their trips significantly over the last week. The night-time trips of long-haul buses resumed on Thursday night after over a month. Transportation of goods across the country has been largely normal.

All offices and businesses in and outside Dhaka are operating smoothly. Markets and roadside shops are open.

Almost all the schools and colleges in the districts are running their normal academic activities as more students are joining classes and taking exams.

But people still are apprehensive of attacks from alleged blockaders as there are reports of stray incidents of petrol or crude bomb blasts.

ECONOMY YET TO REGAIN PACE

Although incidents of violence are on the wane, the opposition's programmes are hitting the economy badly. Economic activities are yet to gain momentum.

SA Kader Kiron, president of Bangladesh Dokan Malik Samity, a platform of around 25 lakh shop owners, said almost all the shops and markets are open now but sales have been poor for lack of customers. 

The number of customers at the markets has increased in the last three days, but most of them are buying essential products, he told The Daily Star. “Shop owners are counting losses as they have to pay salaries to their staff and utility bills to service providers.”

Ekramul Haque, president of Mymensingh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said businesses suffered a setback initially but the situation is improving.

Traders said they are trying to recover losses incurred during the hartals and blockade.

Life in the capital has been normal for quite sometime now. The thick city traffic would hardly give the sense of any blockade and hartal. Some areas are even witnessing usual tailbacks.

Khandaker Enayet Ullah, secretary general of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Malik Samity, claimed that the country's road communication is almost normal now.

Almost cent percent trucks and lorries, 80 percent buses and minibuses, and 60 to 70 percent long-haul buses are plying the highways now, he told this newspaper.

Owner of ENA Transport Private Ltd, Enayet, however, said they were incurring losses every day, especially on the long routes, due to lack of passengers.

Our correspondents in major cities and districts found a similar picture of normal public life and business.

In Chittagong, strikes seem to have little impact on day-to-day life. A large number of buses, trucks and other vehicles have been plying the streets in and outside the port city over the last few weeks, according to leaders of bus owners' association and police.

“Nowadays I often get stuck at some busy intersections of the city as hundreds of vehicles run on roads defying hartals,” said Munir of Katgor in the city.

Employees and workers of different factories said they could not stay back at home anymore as they had to earn their living.

“Is it possible for anyone to stay home for two consecutive months?” questioned Mohammed Enamul Huq Munir, an official at a shipping firm in Agrabad.

Almost all educational institutions are open with normal academic activities. Some schools and colleges resumed normal activities last month.

Mohammed Gias Uddin, head teacher of Chittagong Collegiate School and College, said classes and exams at his institution have been going on in full swing since                    March 8.

Presence of students has increased significantly in recent weeks, he added.

Residents in Khulna city have defied the hartals and blockade. Production in the industrial areas has been smooth.

Besides, all modes of transport are plying the highways connecting the divisional city to Dhaka, Kushtia, Barisal and Chittagong.

“We don't find any difference between a hartal and a normal day as everything here is normal now,” said Abul Kashem, an employee at a private firm.

Life is returning to normalcy in all five upazilas of Chapainawabganj, a stronghold of Jamaat-e-Islami.

Although trucks from Sonamasjid Land Port were being escorted by law enforcers to other districts around one and a half months ago, transportation of goods-laden trucks has become normal now.

The town's four major shopping malls -- Chapainawabganj New Market, Shaheed Satu Hall Market, Abdul Mannan Sentu Market and DC Market -- resumed business last week after over a month. The other markets and shops in and outside the town were doing business as usual.

Students are attending classes regularly at different schools and colleges.

In Rajshahi, most city streets are witnessing gridlocks while markets are open. Many passengers, though, are still afraid of travelling by bus on long routes.

The railway authorities are struggling to serve the increased number of passengers, said Abdul Karim, superintendent at Rajshahi Railway Station.

Businessman Shariful Islam of the city's Boaliapara said, “Political programmes have now turned out to be a farce. Everyone has to come out of their homes to earn their living.”

Though the people of Mymensingh were worried about the political violence at the early stage of the blockade, everything is getting normal in the district.

Our correspondents Minhaj Uddin from Chittagong, Ahsanul Ameen George from Khulna, Rabiul Hasan Dolar from Chapainawabganj, Anwar Ali from Rajshahi and Aminul Islam from Mymensingh contributed to the report.