Blockade has inflicted untold suffering to city commuters who were found waiting for hours at every bus stoppage for public transport.
Unable to avail any transport, many walked long distances to attend offices. Elderly citizens, who had to travel, were forced to opt for expensive rickshaw rides during the countrywide blockade sponsored by the BNP-led 18-party alliance on Sunday.
The office-goers were the worst sufferers. At Banglamotor, Karwan Bazar, Firmgate, Gulshan, Banani and Mohakhali hundreds waited for transports.
Rickshaws, like in hartal days, were seen dominating the city streets. People in groups were also seen starting for their destinations on rickshaw-vans.
A few public transports mostly of BRTC buses were plying the city streets in the morning.
Apart from ambulances, the presence of CNG-run three-wheelers and private cars was very thin, report our correspondents covering the blockade programme across the city.
Masum, an employee of a private company at Shahjadpur in Baridhara, said he waited for a bus at New Market for two hours. Failing to get a transport, he took a rickshaw and came to Firmgate where he had to wait for an hour for another transport.
Later, he took a lift from our reporter who was covering the blockade on a CNG-run three-wheeler.
Most of the schools remained closed in the city but some school authorities decided to keep their schools open due to the annual examinations.
Shopping malls and most of the roadside shops remained closed in the eight-hour long blockade that started at 6:00am.
Source: The Daily Star
