Commuters suffer for bus shortage

Commuters in the capital suffered on Sunday for transport crisis because of a mammoth rally of Qawmi madrasa teachers and students at Suhrawardy Udyan.
Al-Haiatul Ulya Lil-Jamiatil Qawmia Bangladesh held the rally in gratitude for government recognition of a Qawmi certificate equivalent to a postgraduate degree.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina attended the programme styled 'Shukrana Mehfil' or thanksgiving as the chief guest with Hefazat-e-Islam Amir Shah Ahmad Shafi in the chair.
Qawmi teachers and students gathered at the venue since daybreak to join the rally that began at 9:00 am.
Additional security was taken in the area with large numbers of attendees on the streets around.
Traffic was regulated at Shahbagh, Matsya Bhaban and Doyel Chattar, thus causing tailbacks in nearby areas.
Insufficient number of public buses was seen plying different routes on the day as many carried Qawami madrasa teachers and students to the rally.
Meanwhile, education ministry postponed Sunday's Junior School Certificate and Junior Dakhil Certificate exams for 2.7 million students to Friday for the rally.
Passengers at Jatrabari, Motijheel, Farmgate, Paltan, Gulistan, Uttara and other areas underwent an ordeal to catch buses for different destinations or workplaces.
Even many office-goers had to pay extra charge for travelling by auto-rickshaw and pedal-rickshaws for an acute shortage of public transport.

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