With the government determined to foil Opposition leader Khaleda Zia’s ‘march for democracy’ to Dhaka from all over Bangladesh, those trying to reach the capital are finding it almost impossible to reach the capital.
The road to Dhaka has never seemed more difficult.
Buses to Dhaka from the districts have stopped, so are river launches and passengers being heavily searched in trains to prevent possible agitators from making it to the capital.
Transport owners say they are not plying buses or launches after being warned of possible sabotage but BNP alleges that the government is raising heckles to foil the march.
And those who have managed to reach to Dhaka from the districts, braving all odds, the challenge is now to find a transport to reach home. Buses are few and far between on the streets of Dhaka as well.
The unprecedented misery that travellers are facing is because of the showdown between the government, which is determined to hold the Jan 5 parliament polls, and the Opposition which is determined to foil it.
The main Opposition BNP has called for a ‘march to Dhaka’ from all over Bangladesh to pressurise the government into cancelling the Jan 5 polls.
The government, run by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is determined to foil the march and hold the polls.
So the word has gone out that transport owners should go off the road and river to make it difficult for agitators to reach ahead of the Dec 29 ‘march to Dhaka’ that BNP proposes to end with a rally in front of its central party office at Naya Paltan.
As the countdown begins on the Dec 29 showdown, the country is bracing for the worst.
Mahmudur Rahman says he has been waiting at Mohammadpur Bus Stand to go to Mirpur.
Angry with politicians who he feels are responsible for this, he said, “What kind of politics it is that do not bring any welfare to people.”
Large number of people was seen waiting for buses at Shahbagh, Bangla Motor, Maghbazar, Mohammadpur, Asadgate, Mohakhali and many such places for going to office.
Many of them started for office on foot or by rickshaw as they could not find any bus.
Rickshaws were seen running along main roads in the capital.
Talking to bdnews24.com, Bikalpa Paribahan’s manager Md Rubel Mia said no car would come out on the streets because of security concerns on Saturday and Sunday.
No buses were seen leaving Sayedabad, Gabtali and Mohakhali long-haul bus terminals, nor did any bus come there from any district on Saturday.
Though some buses left for Dhaka from various districts, passengers were made to get down before reaching the capital.
Bus counters were closed at Mohakhali Terminal at 9:45am. Despite some counters opened, they were not selling any ticket.
Only some local buses left Mohakhali terminal in the morning, but no long-route buses were seen moving out, said Md Selim Mia, a hair-dresser at the terminal.
One Imran Ali, waiting for a bus, said, “I have to go to Mymensingh on an urgent job. But I can’t find a bus to get there.”
Buses have been taken off the roads because of security concerns, said Tarikul Islam, office secretary at Mohakhali Bus Owners Association.
“Buses are set on fire, passengers burned to death and transport owners have to face huge losses,” he said, talking to bdnews24.com.
“Streets are no safe. So how can we run our buses ?” he said.
No long haul buses have left since morning, said Milon Mia, an officer of Diganta Paribahan at Gabtali Bus Terminal, speaking to bdnews24.com.
“Buses cannot be run on roads if they are not made surely safe,” he said.
“Despite waiting for a bus since morning to go to Manikganj, I have not got any,” he said, talking to bdnews24.com.
The situation of Gabtali and Mohakhali Terminals is no different from that in Sayedabad. No buses were going out from there as well.
Mamun, transport worker of Ekushey Paribahan that runs on Dhaka-Noakhali route, confirmed no buses are running.
A Dhaka-Bandua route bus official said, “Senior police officials have asked us to stop running of buses on Dec 28 and 29.”
But police are not admitting it.
Dhaka City Police’s Deputy Commissioner Md Masudur Rahman said, “Police have been put on alert in various parts of the city for the sake of public security.”
Reports have it that buses are not leaving the districts for Dhaka
Owners have asked us not to run the buses, said Abdul Baten, driver of Padma Express plying on the Chandpur-Dhaka route.
Police have verbally asked not to run buses, said a bus owner at Kishoreganj.
Passengers, returning from Kolkata, are also in a quandary as buses to Dhaka are not available at Benapole land port.
Police are obstructing movement of buses by setting up a check post at Muktapur Bridge, said Abdul Azim, general secretary of BNP’s Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal’s Munshiganj unit.
They are keeping roads and water ways off capital Dhaka in various ways, he added.
Police are conducting searches on vehicles by setting up check posts west of Bangabandhu Bridge, the gateway to the northern region in Bangladesh.
“We are checking whether anyone is carrying arms and ammunition or material for sabotage ,” said Abdul Motaleb, sub-inspector at the Goal Chattar check post, situated at the west side of the Bridge.
Instigated by the ruling party, transport workers have called sudden strike in Bagerhat and Cox’s Bazar.
Local BNP have alleged that these strikes were called to stop the movement of buses ahead of the opposition’s march to Dhaka on Sunday.
Like buses, launches have not come to Dhaka’s Sadarghat Launch Terminal.
Over 50 launches usually come to Dhaka’s main launch terminal a day but only ten arrived on Saturday.
Launches are not coming like on other days, said BIWTA’s Sadarghat Traffic Inspector Syed Mahfuzur Rahman, talking to bdnews24.com.
Asked why, he said, “We do not know but seems launches have been grounded for fear of sabotage.”
MV Tipu Launch’s manager Md Faruk Hossain alleged that due to frequent police search, not many people were venturing out and hence launches were not operating as there was a very few passengers.
Kamlapur Railway Police Station’s OC Md Abdul Majid said trains were normally running though water vessels and road traffics were grounded.
But Dhaka-bound Agarsindu Train, which was to leave for Kishoreganj on Saturday morning, was cancelled.
Kishoreganj Railway Master Joyonto Majumder said they have cancelled the trains following the order from the head office.
No trains even left Ishwardy Railway Station in Pabna on Saturday morning.
“Schedule cannot be maintained due to fog,” said AFM Masudur Rahman, divisional engineer at Ishwardy’s Pakshi Railway Station.
Besides, there are reports that trains are being searched at various places in Bangladesh.
Police arrested nearly 200 Jamaat and BNP activists after launching search operations at various areas across the country from Friday evening to Saturday morning.
Pabna District BNP general secretary Habibur Rahman Tota expressed anger at the halt of traffic movement.
He said, “Traffic movement has been halted just to prevent the leaders and activists of the 18-Party alliance from joining its programme in Dhaka,” he said.
Source: bdnews24
