State-run bus service being thwarted

The government inaugurated the air-conditioned (AC) bus services on Gazipur's Shibbari to Dhaka's Gulistan route under the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. Initially, the authorities launched 10 buses on the route on an experimental basis with the hope of easing the sufferings of commuters.
This writer would like to share his experience regarding the service. Around 3:00 pm on January 9, more than 30 passengers, including children and elderly people, were found waiting in front of the bus counter at Shibbari in Gazipur. As there was no bus in the terminal, passengers were frequently asking the person at the counter about the probable time of the journey and the current location of the bus. The counterman was also assuring them of the scheduled arrival of the bus.
After nearly two hours, the passengers became frustrated. But the counterman tried to convince them by saying, "Please wait just 10 or 20 more minutes. The bus is coming."
Around 5:30 pm, the counterman received a phone call. After ending the conversation, he kept himself mum. Sensing a problem, when the passengers asked about the phone call, the counterman said the bus would not ply due to a technical glitch!
How can we describe the incident? Isn't it part of a plot to make the government bus service unpopular as many of the passengers at that time were recounting similar experiences they had gone through with state-owned bus services. It is obvious that the successful operation of state-owned bus services will affect private companies' businesses. If the authorities are mindful of the people's welfare, they must foil any attempt to undermine state-owned bus service.
Mithun Rezaul Hannan
[email protected]