Road links with Rajshahi cut off for 11 hours

Private transport operators stage strike, damage vehicles to press for stopping BRTC service

2 September 2009, 17:00 PM

Staff Correspondent, Rajshahi

Transport workers damage a three-wheeler in Rajshahi city during yesterday's strike called by transport owners and workers to press for stopping BRTC bus service on Rajshahi-Bagha-Charghat route.Photo: STAR

Road communications between Rajshahi and rest of the country remained suspended for 11 hours from 6:00am yesterday as transport owners and workers enforced strike demanding withdrawal of the state-run BRTC (Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation) buses from a Rajshahi route. Rajshahi Sarak Paribahan Samity and Motor Sramik Union jointly called the indefinite transport strike in the district on Tuesday night to press their demand for stopping BRTC bus service on Rajshahi-Bagha-Charghat route. The strike, however, was withdrawn at 5:00pm following a meeting between the transport owners and workers and the district administration with Deputy Commissioner Shefaul Karim in the chair. In the meeting, the deputy commissioner assured the transport owners and workers of withdrawing double-decker BRTC buses from Rajshahi-Bagha-Charghat route. Earlier in the morning, the transport owners and workers put up barricades on the city streets and damaged several vehicles for defying the strike. They also clashed with police escorting a BRTC bus on Rajshahi-Bagha-Charghat route at Talaimari intersection at around 7:00am. Police charged batons on the transport workers, injuring seven of them. After the clash, the authorities suspended BRTC bus services on all Rajshahi routes. The government recently decided to increase the number of BRTC buses on local routes ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr that angered the private transport owners. The strike caused immense sufferings to the commuters. They said BRTC services are cheaper and more convenient to people than private buses. Many people who were travelling in human haulers on different routes said the strike was 'illogical'. Private bus workers usually harass commuters, they alleged. “BRTC buses maintain time and don't harass passengers over fares”, said schoolteacher Tuhin Sheikh. The DC yesterday said the private bus operators in the meeting agreed to take Tk 10 only as fare from the students. In April, citizens of Rajshahi held a protest rally in the city against the private bus owners' demand for halting BRTC bus services.