People left to suffer as buses go off roads

Thousands of people suffered throughout Sunday as most of buses and other transports in Dhaka city and adjacent districts were taken off the roads ahead of Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s rally in the capital. 
The absence of public transports on highways and roads caused miseries to commuters including Junior School Certificate examinees, sufferers said. 
Almost all long-route buses, also goods trucks and covered vans, were sent off the highways and roads in districts including Munshiganj, Gazipur, Manikganj and Narayanganj to and from Dhaka since Sunday morning. 
Reports received from different districts said a good number of people were seen waiting on different places of the roads for a Dhaka-bound bus and many had to return without getting any.
‘I had to walk all the way from Nakhalpara to reach Kamlapur as there was no bus on the road. I could not afford a rickshaw or an auto-rickshaw,’ Md Emon, who came to his relative’s residence in capital’s Nakhalpara from his village home at Rasulpur under Begumganj in Noakhali, told New Age.

Top, police keep vehicles stalled for hours at Banani in Dhaka on Dhaka-Mymensingh Road, checking the papers of drivers, while, bottom, Shapla Chattar at business hub Motijheel remains almost deserted on Sunday afternoon. — Sanaul Haque and Indrajit Ghosh

BNP leaders alleged that the ruling Awami League activists compelled transport operators not to run any long-route and city service transports so that BNP leaders and activists could not join the rally at Suhrawady Udyan in the afternoon. 
Ashfaq Hossain of Chasara in Narayanganj said at 11:00am that he waited at the bus stop near his home for over an hour to get a Dhaka-bound bus and had to return home without getting any although he had some important works to do in the capital.
In Dhaka city, the number of all public transports was few on roads in the morning in Dhanmondi, Tejgaon, Mohakhali, Mirpur, Agargaon, Motijhil, Malibagh, Mugda, Jatrabari and Kadamtali areas which became acute as the day rolled on.
Traffic gridlock, however, was seen at Shahbagh, Matsya Bhaban Crossing, Segunbagicha, National Press Club and Paltan areas where BNP activists gathered since the noon. 
The congestion then spread to other city areas including Banglamotor, Farmgate, Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara, Badda, Kakrail and Mirpur areas. 
A BNP activist Shafiqur Rahman, 50, of Palash in Narsingdi, said he, like 25 others, came to Suhrawady Udyan by rickshaw van and on foot as no Dhaka-bound public transport was available on the road. ‘We needed about five hours against about two hours at normal time to reach the spot from my upazila town.’
At a briefing in the capital, state minister for local government, rural development and cooperatives Moshiur Rahman Ranga alleged that BNP activists vandalised and burned transports during their programmes.
‘What can we do if the transport owners want to keep their buses off the streets fearing possible vandalism in BNP’s programme,’ he added.
At the same briefing, road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader accused BNP of making the capital roads inactive by holding the rally.
‘If they come to power, they will make the country inactive,’ he said. 
New Age correspondent in Gazipur reported that hundreds of BNP activists faced immense difficulties to reach Dhaka since early hours of Sunday as bus service on Gazipur-Dhaka route was suspended. 
Bus service on Dhaka-Gazipur route was normal. 
Passengers alleged that buses from northern districts to Dhaka route were being turned around at Chandana intersection in Gazipur. 
Dhaka-bound passengers, including JSC examinees, faced acute crisis of vehicles and gathered in bus stand areas. 
BNP national executive committee member Mazaharul Alam said the government stopped all vehicles from Gazipur to the capital fearing the flow of BNP activists while they were leaving for Dhaka by train and other transports. 
New Age correspondent in Narayanganj reported that inter-district bus service, trucks, CNG-run auto-rickshaws and taxies on Dhaka-Narayanganj route were also taken off the streets since Sunday morning. 
The district BNP general secretary, Mamun Mahmud, alleged that the long-route bus service was shut down following government directive to stop them from joining the rally in Dhaka. 
Narayanganj Transport Owners’ Association president Muktar Hossain claimed that they suspended the service as their buses, after going to Dhaka, did not get any passenger to come back to the district.
Narayanganj superintendent of police Moinul Hossain said he did not know anything about this. 
New Age correspondent in Munshiganj reported that the Dhaka-bound bus service from Shimulia pontoon bus stand under Lowhajang upazila was shut down about 7:00am on Sunday without any notice while bus service on Dhaka-Shimulia route was normal. 
A huge number of passengers were seen at different points on Dhaka-Mawa highway to reach the capital. 
New Age correspondent in Manikganj reported that all Dhaka-bound buses from Manikganj were kept of our service from Sunday morning. 
Additional police forces were deployed at different points on Dhaka-Aricha Highway ahead of the rally. 

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net