Bus services from 3 northern districts to Dhaka resume after 3-day strike

Bus services on the Rajshahi-Dhaka and other long-haul routes resumed today (29 September) around 3:00pm, ending a three-day suspension that had disrupted travel for passengers from Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, and Natore districts.

Nazrul Islam Helal, general secretary of the North Bengal Bus Owners' Association, confirmed that services restarted following a settlement reached at a meeting in Gabtoli, Dhaka, between bus owners and workers.

Passenger woes mount as bus services to Dhaka halted from 3 northern districts

The suspension began abruptly on Thursday night (25 September) when transport owners halted operations without prior notice.

The owners' association said the move aimed to prevent workers from picking up extra, unauthorised passengers, citing safety risks and potential damage to company reputations.

Workers, however, claimed the shutdown was intended to avoid implementing a pre-agreed salary increase.

However, even though the owners withdrew the bus strike, the workers did not return to work. Until 6:30pm, no buses had departed from the city's Shiroil Bus Terminal.

They said their demands had not been implemented in the meeting.

Bus services from 3 northern districts to Dhaka remain suspended for third consecutive day

They said an agreement to raise wages had been reached on 23 September, with the new salaries set to take effect on 26 September.

Earlier, temporary work stoppages on 8 and 9 September had been called off after assurances from owners.

Bazlur Rahman Ratan, central vice-president of the Bangladesh Bus Truck Owners Association and owner of Desh Travels, said some "VIP" buses operate on the Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Chattogram, and Cox's Bazar routes.

He noted that despite recent wage increases, some workers continued picking up extra passengers against owners' instructions, endangering passenger safety and company reputations.

Dhaka-bound bus services halted for second day in three districts, passengers stranded

"Passenger safety is our priority. Unauthorised boarding can lead to robberies or accidents, and owners are held responsible. That is why operations were temporarily halted," Ratan said.

He added that relevant government authorities had been informed of the owners' stance.