Long-route buses resume services as 5th phase blockade ends

Bus companies resumed long-haul services after almost a week this afternoon with a thin presence of passengers at Gabtoli terminal as the fifth phase of the BNP-Jamaat blockade concluded.

A counter master at Gabtali told The Business Standard (TBS), "As many as 60 buses leave Gabtali terminals for various destinations across the country every day, but only about 20 will leave today [Thursday]."

Some passengers have been seen waiting at the Gabtoli bus terminal since Thursday morning, but no long-route bus left the terminal before 3:30pm.

One passenger named Ariful Islam was anxiously waiting to depart for his Magura home with his wife, as a family member was critically ill. 

He expressed his frustration to TBS, stating, "I have been sitting here [at the counter] since purchasing my bus ticket, but there's no sign of the bus leaving. They initially promised a 3:30pm departure, but now [around 4:30 PM] they are saying it will be late. I would not have considered travelling home if it were not for the medical emergency."

Shaukat Ali Babu, the counter master of Shyamoli NR Travels, told The Business Standard that usually 45 buses are operated in northern districts. Now only 10-12 buses are in service due to blockades.

"Our buses will leave the terminal around 5pm. But about 15-16 passengers have booked tickets for buses bound for North Bengal, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Dinajpur as of 2:30pm," he said.

Salim Mahmud, another passenger, was anxiously awaiting his departure for his village home in Chuadanga to address urgent matters. He told TBS, "I have been waiting for the bus since noon. It was scheduled to leave at 4pm, but due to low passengers, the departure has been further delayed."

Aslam of another bus operator Jamuna Line told TBS, "No buses left the Gabtoli terminal on Wednesday. Buses will start leaving for North Bengal after 3:30pm today [Thursday]. Normally we operate five buses but today we will run two as there are very few passengers."

Vikram Chandra Das, station master of Hanif Enterprise, told TBS, "We will start the bus at 3:45pm. About 20 passengers have booked tickets for the first bus we will run today."

The counter master of Shakura Paribahan Raju said normally they run 15-16 buses to Barisal but only five buses have been kept on the schedule for Thursday. Without passengers, the number of buses may be cut down further.