Panic still seizes transport owners despite security escort offer

Transport owners still fear to run their vehicles on highways during the ongoing blockade despite the government's assurance of providing enough security and compensation.
People, involved in the transportation business, said owners were not getting enough confidence to run their vehicles because of growing attacks on transports like buses, trucks, pickups and covered vans on the country's highways.
Talking about the issue, Maizuddin, Joint Secretary of the Syedabad Bus Owners' Association, said they have been trying hard to convince the owners for plying their buses during the ongoing blockade under protection from the law enforcers.
"Some of them agreed to ply their transports. But most of them stayed off for not getting confidence to take out their expensive vehicles on the highways in such a chaotic situation," he said.
Acting Secretary of the association Md. Jahangir Hossain said the growing incidents of violence have started triggering panic among the transport owners. "We've requested the ministry concerned for further intensifying security on highways to protect vehicles from subversive attacks."
In the wake of growing violence on the highways, State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan last week held a meeting with the law enforcement agencies and transport union leaders where he assured them of providing foolproof security if they ply vehicles during the blockade.
Seeking anonymity, a transport owner, who runs passenger buses on Dhaka-Rangpur Highway, said the government pressurised the owners to ply transports to prove that the blockade has no impact.
He said the incidence of arson attacks and vandalism has gone up since the state minister made the assurance. "I've four buses and each is worth around Tk 9.0 million. I'm not insane to take those to the trouble-spots depending only on the government assurance," he said.
He also added that getting compensation from the government is too complicated and time-consuming.
Official data showed that a total of 230 vehicles were torched since January 4 to January 15 by the picketers all over the country. The number included 115 buses, 65 trucks, 65 covered vans and cargoes, 15 pickups and 8 cars.
Questioning security arrangements on the highways by the government, General Secretary (Central Committee) of Bangladesh Inter-District Truck Owners Union Millat Hossain said the government could not protect transports from the attacks of arsonists by providing special security escorts.
 "Owners lost their confidence whenever they saw none including drivers, helpers and passengers is safe on journey. We're like other people feeling insecure," he added.     
On January 14, four passengers, including a child, were burnt alive and charred in an arson attack on a passenger bus which was plying with security escort in Mithapukur upazila of Rangpur.
A goods-laden truck also came under arson attack in Joypurhat while it was running with security escort.   
President of the Bangladesh Truck-Covered Van Owners Association Md Tofazzal Hossain said owners did not receive any booking for transporting goods to different parts of the country. He said the opposition leaders vowed to continue their blockade programme and the government is determined to prove it a fruitless one. "So, we're sandwiched between their opposite stances."
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