People suffer as most buses go off streets

People had difficulties commuting in the capital yesterday as few buses were on the streets in anticipation that there would be a violent face-off between the Awami League and BNP.

The two major parties called three separate rallies in the city yesterday, marking the second anniversary of the January 5 national election.

In different parts of the city, people especially women struggled to get into buses but most of the time they failed because of impenetrable crowds at the door.

There were also traffic jams at some places.

The ruling AL organised the gatherings at Bangabandhu Avenue and Russell Square, while BNP rallied in front of the party office at Nayapaltan. 

The public sufferings worsened when, unlike on normal days, buses kept their doors shut.

Commuters suffered most in Motijheel, Paltan, Guilstan, Jatiya Press Club, Shahbagh, Science Laboratory, Kalabagan, Farmgate, and Mirpur areas.

A helper of a city bus, Yousuf, said there were few buses because the transport operators were in panic over the rallies of the two parties.

Masuma Hossain, who works in a private Bank at Motijheel, waited at Mirpur-1 intersection for about one hour to get into a bus in the morning. "It usually takes five to 10 minutes", she said.

Masuma said she saw waiting crowds in Technical, Shyamoli, Asad Gate areas in the morning, and most of those waiting were women.

"Political leaders always promise to work for people. But sometimes they make our life very difficult -- this is a breach of the promise," she said.     

Abdur Rashid, resident of Kalabagan, told The Daily Star that he could not get into a bus to go to Banani because the buses were packed. The auto-rickshaw drivers also refused to go on hire, he added.

Rashid had to walk to Panthapath and take an auto-rickshaw from there.