Bus services resume on limited scale

Private sector buses have begun operating on Dhaka roads after transport owners called off the unannounced strike over ‘safety concerns’ amid student protests for safer roads.

Commuters were crowding various Dhaka intersections on Monday, waiting for transport. Many were fighting to get a spot on any buses that came by.

Transport owners say long haul buses are also operating from the Gabtali, Mohakhali and Sayedabad bus terminals.

Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association Secretary General Khandker Enayet Ullah said on Sunday that the organisation felt the situation was sufficiently secure around the country to resume bus services. The organisation decided to resume bus services on Monday after discussions with owners and workers.

Several Jatrabari residents told bdnews24.com that buses are running, even if they are few in number.

Sanjit Biswas, a private sector employee who works in Niketon, said: “We received news last night that buses would be on the roads today. But there are very few of them.”

Another commuter, Yasin Hossain, said he reached Farmgate from Shanir Akhra on a Labbayek Paribahan bus.

“I had to struggle very hard to get on board; many people are waiting for buses on the streets. I spoke to the conductor who said more buses will be running this evening,” he said.

More buses operated by Bandhu Paribahan have been operating on the Gulistan-Notun Bazar route this morning than in the last few days. Buses are also operating in Uttara, Abdullahpur, Mirpur and Mohammedpur. 

However, very few buses were seen operating in Moghbazar, Mohakhali, Gulshan, Rampura and Badda. The situation at Karwan Bazar, however, almost seemed back to normal, said Prashanta Saha, an Eastern Bank official.

“We have deployed our buses as we were assured of their safety on the roads. Long-haul buses have also started operating and we are facing a crowd of passengers,” said Dhaka Road Transport Owners’ Association chief Abul Kalam.

Buses left the Mohakhali bus terminal at 5am, said Abdul Malek, general secretary of the association, adding that passengers had been streaming in from the early morning. He said buses from other districts have also started towards Dhaka as well.

“We have begun to sell tickets along all routes following the directive, and buses have already started operations,” said Billal Hossain, a counter worker for Shyamoli Paribahan in Gabtali.

“Most people don’t know that the buses are running and so a smaller number of buses began operating. But the number will increase as time goes on and more passengers queue for the bus. There has been no hindrance to bus services on the highways,” Sayedabad Inter-District Bus Owners’ Association chief Abul Kalam told bdnews24.com.

The deaths of two students from Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College ignited a protest movement led by students from educational institutions in Dhaka demanding safer roads. Some vehicles had been vandalised during these demonstrations.

Bus owners and workers stopped bus services throughout the country on Friday, citing lack of security. Transport workers were seen preventing buses from running in parts of the country, leading to severe problems for passengers.

On Sunday night, the leader of transport owners’ association, Enayet Ullah, declared the buses will resume operations on Monday.