No long-route bus left the capital from Mohakhali, Gabtoli and Kamalapur Bus Terminals as transport owners decided to stay their vehicles off the roads. All ticket counters at the terminals were found closed. No coach entered the capital either on Friday.
Talking to the UNB correspondent at Mohakhali Bus Terminal, Rubel, a Mymensingh-bound passenger, said he was looking forward to seeing his ailing mother undergoing treatment at a local hospital. “I’ll make it to Mymensingh, no matter what …I want to see my mother.”
A cabdriver suggested the dejected man to hire a CNG-run auto-rickshaw to go home. But Rubel headed towards Kamalapur Railway Station instead with a hope of catching a train.
Also at the terminal, a Narsindi-bound passenger, Omar Faruk, together with his five friends were found planning how to go back home.
Accusing the government of having hands in halting the operation of bus service to foil the long march, Faruk said, “Such politics doesn’t bring any good — neither for people nor for any party.”
Asked whether the bus service would resume tomorrow (Saturday), a person concerned with Netrokona-bound Bus service-Sonar Madina answered in the negative and said hartal would be observed on the day.
“Today (Friday), the bus service was suspended over security concern…the suspension will continue till Saturday’s evening,” he said.
Some pro-government organisations led by pro-Awami League Sammilita Sangskritik Jote, Ekatturer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee and Progatishil Peshajibi Samonnaya Parishad called the nationwide hartal from 6 pm today to 6 pm to resist Saturday’s Dhaka-bound long march programme called by Hefajat-e Islam Bangladesh.
Besides, Ganajagaran Mancha called a countrywide road blockade from 6:00pm today (Friday) to 4:00pm tomorrow (Saturday) to halt the Islamic organization’s long march.
