Misery on roads

Little did Afsar Uddin know when he flew home 11 months ago, that catching his flight back to Oman would turn into a nightmare with the transport strike threatening his chances of boarding the plane on time.

Stuck in Noakhali on Friday, expatriate Afsar, a resident of Char Afzal village of Lakshmipur's Ramgati upazila, could not find a transport to Chattogram due to the nationwide transport strike triggered by sudden hike of diesel and kerosene prices.

"I live in Oman. My flight is scheduled to take off at 9am on Saturday. I somehow managed to reach Noakhali. But I could not get a transport from here, I have been waiting since morning," he told The Business Standard yesterday afternoon.

"If I cannot reach Chattogram by tonight, I am going to miss my flight," said Afsar, who was visibly at a loss.

Similar stories of people's suffering kept pouring in all day on Friday as movement of all kinds of long-route buses and goods-carrying transports remained halted, leading to disrupted export-import activities in ports including Chattogram, Benapole and Mongla, and unspeakable sufferings of the masses. Commuters, across the country, were forced to look for alternative means of transportation at exorbitant fares.

Photo: Salahuddin Ahmed/TBS

Thousands of admission seekers and government job aspirants on Friday faced a difficult time finding alternative modes of transport to reach their exam centres. 

Many aspirants even failed to reach the venue in time due to unavailability of transports. 

Buses of the state-owned Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) and two-three private companies were seen on the city streets.

However, private cars, rickshaws, CNG-run auto-rickshaws and motorcycles were seen plying the roads.

Shamim, a vegetable retailer at Karwan Bazar, said he had to pay an extra Tk5,000-8,000 on Thursday night to transport his vegetables by truck.

Shafiq Ahmed, a truck driver, said that trucks, except those carrying vegetables, did not enter Dhaka at night fearing the strike.

Passengers who were out on the streets on Friday morning, alleged that auto-rickshaw drivers, rickshaw drivers were charging three to four times the regular fares taking advantage of the strike.

Karim Sheikh, a rickshaw-puller, said he had already earned Tk700 by early afternoon.

Besides, commuters, who left Dhaka for emergency work since morning, were seen hiring microbuses with extra fare as there were no long-route buses.

They did not get any vehicle even after waiting for a long time. Even though CNG-run-auto-rickshaws were available, the drivers were charging double, alleged city dwellers.

Md Abdur Razzak, a train passenger who came from Cumilla on Friday morning, was in trouble after getting down from the train at the Airport Station.

"As there were no public buses on roads, I counted extra Tk150 for auto-rickshaw fare to go to Mirpur 12," he said.

Mohammad Ratul, a private job holder and a resident of Mirpur 12, said, "I need to go to Uttara for office work. But it was a nightmare out there. I had to wait for about half an hour for an auto rickshaw."

Mohammad Badal Khan, a supervisor of Mirpur Link bus, said they had about 30 vehicles. But yesterday the owner could not take a penny in his pocket as profit. The whole money was spent to buy oil.

Suffering for commuters elsewhere in the country was no different as they also had to pay extra to reach their destination.

A horrifying day for examinees

The examinees were seen at different points in Dhaka city trying to get a vehicle to reach their respective exams centres. 

The examinees included students sitting for the admission tests to enrol into Dhaka University Affiliated seven colleges under Commerce Faculty and candidates vying for 19 other government jobs including Bangladesh Bureau of Statics, banks and taxes offices.  

Israt Jahan, an admission seeker who came from Gazipur, told The Business Standard that she left home in the wee hours of Friday to take part in the exam centres in Mirpur but she had to wait at least over an hour to get a CNG-run-auto rickshaw.

"Luckily one CNG-run-auto rickshaw agreed to go to Mirpur after a long wait," she said adding, "I will never forget such a horrifying day." 

Later, agitated admission seekers blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway around 8am halting traffic after they faced trouble reaching the examination centres owing to the public transport strike. The protesters were soon joined by a number of government bank job aspirants who faced a similar dilemma.

Photo: Salahuddin Ahmed/TBS

500 India returnees suffer at Benapole

Several hundred people, who returned from their visit to India on Friday, faced huge troubles at the Benapole land port as many had to spend extra money with no public transport available due to the strike.

Joyonti Talukder and Suresh Talukder of Goplaganj, who returned home on Friday, said, "We couldn't make it to our home due to the strike. We exhausted our funds for the medical treatments in India. With whatever little that is left we cannot afford to reserve an auto-rickshaw. So, we have no other option but to wait at the counter."  

Jashore Bus Owners Association General Secretary Baduruzzaman Bablu said, "Due to nationwide indefinite transport strike called by central bus and truck owners association, no goods-laden truck or public transport left the country's southern part since Friday morning."

"The strike will continue until fuel prices are revised," he added.

Aminul Huq, vice-president of Benapole Export-Import Association, said, "If the transport strike is not withdrawn soon, importers will incur huge losses." The transport strike, enforced since Friday morning, has left thousands of people in the south-west, including Khulna, in dire straits.

Students who are taking part in admission tests in universities suffered immensely in their attempts of making it to Dhaka, our Khulna correspondent reports.

Failing to get a bus at the Shonadanga bus terminal many commuters were seen going to the rail station, where the station master Ashik Ahmed said they are also struggling to tackle the extra pressure of passengers.

Our Gazipur correspondent reports that halted transport left thousands of passengers stranded in the district. CNG-run-auto-rickshaw and battery-run autorickshaw drivers were taking advantage of this situation and asking for much higher fares than usual.

Easy-bikes (three-wheeler human haulers) are operating on the roads and hiking extra fares, reports our Sathkhira correspondent.

Meanwhile, in Noakhali, the movement of diesel-run vehicles remained suspended since Friday morning on the instructions of the district bus owners' association.

Passenger buses and freight trucks have also stopped operating in Brahmanbaria like other parts of the country in protest of the diesel price hike.

On Friday morning, some long-distance buses left for their destinations, but the bus service was suspended from 12 noon. However, local bus services are normal within the district. Passengers have suffered due to the unannounced bus strike.

Earlier on Wednesday, Bangladesh government increased the prices of diesel and kerosene by Tk15 per litre. 

The sudden price hike decision was met with quick response from the public and goods transport owners, who called for a nationwide strike starting Friday morning.

"Transport owners are already under a lot of pressure. Now, due to the increased price of diesel, it will be impossible for us to operate vehicles. This move [fuel price hike] is illogical," Bangladesh Truck-Covered Van Owners Association President Md Tofazzal Hossain Majumder told The Business Standard on Wednesday.

"The government did not discuss the issue of price hikes with transport leaders, Tofazzal Hossain said, adding that the strike will continue until further notice. 

"Truck workers will stop transporting goods from Friday unless the decision to increase diesel prices is reversed," said Abdul Motaleb, general secretary of Bangladesh Truck Covered Van Transport Agency Owners Association. 

Besides, Bangladesh Truck-Covered Van, Tank Lorry, Prime Mover Owners and Workers' Coordination Council, in a press release, observed that the government move to increase fuel prices along with the toll for Bangabandhu and Muktarpur bridges will add to the misery of the already Covid-19 ravaged transport sector.

Some 50,000 tourists, who were scheduled to leave Cox's Bazar on Friday, were stranded, our correspondent there reported, citing hotel officials.

Some tourists, who had work engagements on Saturday, left Cox's Bazar by air for extra fare, while others tried to leave Cox's Bazar in small vehicles. However, many eventually chose to stay back as the fare was twice or three times than usual.

On the other hand, about 30,000 tourists could not come to Cox's Bazar due to the transport strike. About 50,000 tourists booked hotel rooms in advance for Friday-Saturday, but only 20,000 tourists reached Cox's Bazar by Friday morning. Tourists, who planned on starting on Friday morning, had to postpone or cancel their trips altogether.