A large number of people remaining stranded at Shanir Akhara on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway, as the transport workers enforced a 48-hour strike since Sunday morning, causing untold sufferings to commuters across the country — FE Photo by Shafiqul Alam The commuters of the capital city had to undergo a terrible ordeal on Sunday for a 48-hour countrywide transport strike demanding amendments to the Road Transport Act (RTA) 2018.
The Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation called the strike from a rally held outside the National Press Club on Saturday to press for an eight-point demand.
Normal life was disrupted as no intercity bus hit city streets, barring some BRTC buses, private cars, motorcycles, rickshaws and CNG-run auto-rickshaws.
The strike action left office-goers and students, who mostly rely on public transport, in a big trouble to reach their destinations and also to return to their residences.
Transport workers even interrupted movement of private cars and motorcyles in places like Jatrabari and Shanirakhra and on Dhaka-Chittagong highway.
They smeared burnt engine oil and black ink on the drivers found plying their vehicles during the strike.
When asked, Osman Ali, secretary of the federation, said their strike was passing off peacefully.
Workers of truck, bus, covered van and other mode of transport observed first day without hitch, he claimed.
They would continue with the strike if the demands remain unmet by tomorrow (Monday), Mr Alisaid.
The FE correspondents found no inter-district bus leaving Gabtoli and Mohakhali terminals.
Even short-haul city services operating on different routes stayed off the roads.
Due to abstention, university admission seekers were in panic as to their appearing for tests outside Dhaka.
Kamrul Islam is a candidate for Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology admission test due for November 02.
He said, "I visited several bus terminals but couldn't manage an advance ticket for October 31."
No bus companies are selling tickets at this moment. Even train tickets were sold out, he told the FE.
When asked, Bangladesh Bus Truck Owners' Association chairman Md Faruk Talukder Sohel declined to make any comment on the issue.
Kaiser Alam, who works for a garment factory at Hemayetpur, Savar, was looking for a bus at 9:30 am.
"It cost me more than Tk 120 if I go by a rickshaw when it takes Tk 10 only to reach the spot by bus," he said.
Suvanker Ghosh, managing director and chief executive officer of Shyamoli Paribahan, told the FE that they refrained from operating buses on Sunday.
However, Hatirjheel circular bus service and 'Dhaka Chaka', a service limited to only Gulshan and Banani areas, plied the designated streets.
Visiting Mohakhali Bus Terminal, the FE found hundreds of north-bound inter-district buses stationed inside the terminal and nearby roads.
Md Mokbul Ahmad, president of Bangladesh Covered Van Truck Goods Transport Owners Association, said, "We're not with this unjust strike and we want uninterrupted goods transportation."
Some workers unfairly tried to prevent the plying of private cars, ambulances, motorbikes and mini-trucks that haul essentials, he told the FE.
Mr Ahmed said two powerful transport leaders were in parliament during the passage of the RTA.
"They didn't protest the act in parliament, then why their followers are agitating now to destabilise the country?" he posed the question.
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