Long-haul transport grinds to a halt in Dhaka terminals
Passengers and transport workers are concerned about potential incidents like fire or vandalism on the roads
Long-haul public transport services from the capital to other areas have come to a standstill due to the BNP-Jamaat hartal, despite prior announcements by bus owners that mass transport would be operational.
Passengers and transport workers are concerned about potential incidents like fire or vandalism on the roads.
Already four buses have been set on fire in the city, leaving one person dead.
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During a visit on Sunday morning to Mohakhali bus terminals in the capital, it was seen that buses remained in the station, with many saying it was due to a lack of passengers.
Only a few buses of the Mymensingh-bound Ena Paribahan, Shoukhin Express, and Tangail Madhupur-bound Binimoy Paribahan were seen departing from Mohakhali terminal.
"We have been waiting for passengers for a long time, but there are none," said Mohammad Ashraful, a staff member of Shoukhin Express.
"People are afraid to travel long distances amid hartal," he said.
Earlier yesterday, the Dhaka Road Transport Owners' Association announced that their vehicles would operate today, despite the nationwide hartal called by BNP and Jamaat.
Similarly in the Gabtoli Bus Terminal area, no buses were seen arriving or departing from 9-10am.
Although a few waiting passengers were present, most bus counters were found closed.
Rakibul Hasan Munna, a student of Begum Rokeya University, arrived at Dhaka's Sadarghat from Noakhali's Hatiya by launch early morning today.
He then took a city bus to reach Kalyanpur bus terminal, intending to travel to Rangpur.
However, he couldn't find any bus departing from Kalyanpur to Rangpur.
"I usually find buses at Kalyanpur whenever I come here, but this morning I see no bus is available," said Rakib. The staff at the bus counters informed him that there were no passengers, so the buses wouldn't be operating.
He shared his situation at 9am talking to TBS, stating, "I didn't know there would be a strike when I boarded the launch from Hatiya." He had visited his hometown during the Puja vacation.
He had been waiting at Kalyanpur from 6:30am, hoping to catch a bus to Rangpur. He has a class at 2pm today.
At around 1:30pm, contacted over phone, Rakib said, " "Nabil, Hanif, and Ena Paribahan; none of these Rangpur-bound transport are heading today due to the lack of passengers. After waiting till 1am, I came to my relative's house in Mohammadpur."
"Who will take responsibility for my missed class?" saying this, Rakib urges both major parties to take initiative to resolve the political crisis through peaceful discussions.
Hoping the buses to go back to normal in the evening, he cut off the conversation.
"Since there are no passengers, the buses are not departing now. They will operate in the evening when we expect passengers to arrive," said Abdul Motin, Unique Service counter manager at Kalyanpur.
In a visit to Dhaka's Savar Bus Terminal, Nobinagar Bus Terminal, and Baipayl Bus Terminal, it was observed that buses remained parked at the terminals.
Counter staff cited the lack of passengers as the reason, while some transport owners mentioned concerns about potential vandalism as their reason for not putting their buses on the road.
At 12 AM, it was noted at the Nobinagar Bus Terminal in Savar that except for 8 out of 10 counters, all other counters were closed. During this time, a few frustrated passengers were seen waiting for a bus.
Sompad Sheikh, waiting with his wife since 10 AM, expressed his concern: "We are headed to our village in Rajbari. However, due to the insufficient number of passengers, no buses are departing from Gabtoli."
The counters informed them that no buses would leave before the evening.
"I saw in the news that buses would be operating, but now I see no buses. How long can we sit like this in this heat?" he adds.
Suśmitā, a garment worker, and her younger sister have been waiting at the terminal since 9 AM. Suśmitā stated, "We are trying to reach Jhinaidah, our village. Despite waiting since morning, no buses are ready to go."
"There's a prevailing sense of panic among everyone, including us. Despite this, I ventured out. Now, I realise it was a mistake," she added.
"We are ready to start buses, but there aren't enough passengers. We can't send out empty buses. If there are a certain number of passengers, the minimum fare will be covered," said Ayub, the counter manager of Comfort Line bus services at Nobinagar Bus Terminal.
He mentioned that the transport service had canceled five trips since the morning. Similar circumstances were observed with Nodiya Deluxe bus service.
Expressing his concerns, the Golden Line counter manager remarked, "Who wouldn't be scared? It has been peaceful all these years. After what happened in Dhaka yesterday, who would dare to leave their homes?"
"Since the morning, we only had 3/4 passengers at most. Operating buses with such low numbers is not feasible. we will assess the situation in the afternoon to see if there are any passengers," he added.
On the other hand, law enforcement personnel have maintained a vigilant presence at various points in Savar-Ashulia since the morning.
The additional police superintendent (Crime, Ops, and Traffic) Abdulla Hil Kafi of Dhaka District Police, informed The Business Standard that their police officers are in a state of alertness at every important point in Savar-Ashulia.
"Police are vigilant to ensure that no harmful activities take place. Additionally, patrolling has been intensified in various areas as a precautionary measure."
Intercity commute functional, but scarcely available
Commuters inside the capital are also facing inconvenience as the nationwide hartal (shutdown) has led to a scarcity of public transportation, with only a handful of vehicles hitting the roads in the capital.
Few buses that are operational are overcrowded, causing discomfort to passengers. Private rickshaws and auto-rickshaws operated by CNG-run engines are charging more than double or triple the usual fares, taking advantage of the situation.
Due to the impact of the hartal, there is limited traffic on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway as well, especially around Uttara-Tongi, leading to suffering for office-bound commuters in Dhaka.
Meanwhile, in Khulna, the situation appears relatively normal, with no signs of the hartal affecting public transportation. Buses are operating as usual, and there have been no reports of attacks, arson incidents, or disruptions in communication services.
