Transport strike across Rajshahi division brings endless suffering to locals

Dhaka University student Mizanur Rahman left his Rajshahi home early morning on Thursday as he had to travel nearly 250 kilometres to attend his semester final examination in the afternoon at the university in the capital. The young man, however, got shocked when he came to know that no bus would move to Dhaka from the division.

"I was out of network for the last couple of days to concentrate on my study. I was not even aware of the strike. I am at stake. I may drop out," he said while talking to The Business Standard at the inter-district bus stand in Rajshahi city.

"I could not even imagine such a bad situation. No bus is running in the entire division," said Anisur Rahman, who was on the way to Bogura's Shibganj from Sona Masjid of Chapainawabganj.

"I along with my sick wife set off by rickshaw. At several points, we have got human haulers. The bothersome journey however costs us double the regular fare," he told TBS.

This was the situation in the Rajshahi division yesterday where thousands of people faced endless suffering as the Rajshahi Divisional Transport Owners Association enforced an indefinite strike in all eight districts.

People who wished to travel to Rajshahi from other divisions also bore the brunt of the strike.  

The strike starting on Thursday morning coincides with the BNP's ninth divisional rally in Rajshahi city on Saturday. 

Talking to The Business Standard, Safakat Manjur Biplob, president of the Rajshahi Divisional Transport Owners Association, said, "We have called the strike to press home our 10-point demands. 

"We had given an ultimatum to scrap the Road Transport Act 2018 and ban the movement of auto-rickshaws on highways by 30 November. But, our demands were not met," he added.

BNP leaders, however, alleged that the transport strike is a strategy of the government to create obstacles in the political party's rally. 

Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu, organising secretary of the BNP and coordinator of the mass rally committee, said the strike was called to refrain the leaders and activists from joining the rally. "However, we will organise our meeting successfully at any cost."

The strike in Rajshahi is not a surprise at all. Such transport strikes were also enforced ahead of the BNP's other divisional rallies.
Transport leader Biplob, however, said that the strike has no link with the BNP rally scheduled for next week.
 
Bus owners also feel the pinch

Although the divisional body of transport owners announced the strike, many bus owners said they have been incurring a huge loss for the strike.

"We will lose at least about TK50,000 for a day of the strike," said Razab Ali who has 26 buses on various routes inside the division.

"In addition, all of my bus staffers will suffer financially." 

Several bus owners also told TBS that the Rajshahi-district-based bus owners will lose some Tk1 crore per day alone due to the strike. Bus owners of other parts of the division also will incur such amounts, they added.

The strike serves whose interest, question workers

As part of the divisional strike, Bogura bus owners kept their services suspended from Thursday morning but the bus workers there raised questions about the actual motive behind the strike. 

"We the 22,000 staffers serve buses for our livelihoods. If we cannot work a day, we cannot take bread and butter for our family. We are not in favour of the strike right now. Then, for whose interest has the strike been called?" a Bogura Charmatha Bus Terminal-based bus worker asked, seeking anonymity.

Assistant General Secretary of District Labour Union Fain Hossain Mondal said the transport owners did not heed to them. "We were told to stop work, we did. The government is taking advantage of the strike and using us," he told TBS.

The general secretary of the Union, Aminul Islam, however, disagreed with the statement that the strike serves the government's interest.

BNP supporters keep coming defying all odds

Meanwhile, thousands of BNP supporters, in defiance of all odds, have been coming to Rajshahi since Wednesday night. Talking to The Business Standard, they said they travelled long distances and faced different obstructions, including that induced by transport strikes. Many also alleged that police also tried to halt them.

Huge gatherings were also seen in BNP rallies in Chattogram, Mymensingh, Khulna, Rangpur, Barishal, Faridpur, Sylhet and Cumilla.

The BNP will conclude the divisional rallies through a mass gathering in Dhaka city on 10 December.

Our Bogura correspondent contributed to the report.