Commuters suffer as bus services remain halted for 2nd day in Rajshahi

Bus services on all the routes in Rajshahi district remained suspended for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, causing immense sufferings to the commuters, reports UNB.

All the bus ticket counters in the city have been kept shut and no buses were seen plying roads.

Bus Owners’ Association suspended movement of all buses from the district from Monday fearing possible attack on vehicles ahead of a BNP rally, which is scheduled to be held around 2 pm today.

Matiul Haque Tito, general secretary of District Bus Owners Association, said: “Apprehending possible attacks on vehicles during BNP's divisional rally in Rajshahi, we have suspended movement of buses from Monday morning.”

But General Secretary of Rajshahi District Motor Workers Union Mahatab Hossain claimed that one of their workers was assaulted in Bogura. “The bus services were suspended as part of a previously announced programme protesting the attack,” he said.

Passengers in Rajshahi had to return home from the bus terminals.

Rajshahi Metropolitan BNP President Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul said police are yet to give permission and approve venue for their divisional rally.

“Bus services from Rajshahi to Dhaka have been stopped. This has been done to prevent people from joining the programme,” he said. “Our rally will be held despite that.”

The BNP on February 5 announced to hold public rallies in six cities, demanding fair and credible polls.

BNP’s defeated mayoral candidates in different cities came up with the announcement at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club.

“We’ve decided to hold six rallies in as many city corporations to inform the people about vote rigging. We want to tell the people about their voting rights and urge them to restore democracy,” said BNP Joint Secretary General Mujibur Rahman

Sarwar who contested the Barisal City Corporation polls as BNP’s mayoral candidate in 2018.

He said their party’s first rally will be held in Chattogram on February 13 while the second one in Barishal on February 18, the third one in Khulna on February 27, the fourth one in Rajshahi on March 1, the fifth one in Dhaka north city on March 3 and the last one in Dhaka south city the next day.