The movement of all types of public transport, including bus, train and launch, between capital Dhaka and other parts of the country virtually came to a halt on Saturday ahead of the opposition’s much-hyped ‘March for Democracy’ programme.
Train services on different routes, including Dhaka-Rajshahi and Dhaka-Sylhet and Chittagong-Sylhet highways, remained suspended since this morning, causing immense sufferings to passengers.
Contacted, Dhaka Division Railway Manager Sardar Sahadat said no train entered the capital since morning.
UNB Sylhet correspondent reports: train plying on the Dhaka-Sylhet route was halted as the railway authorities cancelled the train schedule.
Railway sources said the train services on the Dhaka-Sylhet route was suspended as movement of the Dhaka-bound ‘Upoban Express’ was stopped due to schedule disaster.
Sylhet Railway Station Master Mahibur Rahman confirmed the matter.
Our Chittagong correspondent says: No train, except Dhaka-bound ‘Suborno Express’, left Chittagong on Saturday due to schedule disaster.
Chittagong Railway station manager Shamsul Alam said inter-city Provati, Paharika, Chattrala, Express and Meghna did not left the station due to uncertain schedule.
In Rajshahi, train services on the Dhaka-Rajshahi route was suspended due to technical glitches and schedule disaster.
Rajshahi Rail Station Superintendent Abdul Karim said plying of all scheduled trains on the Dhaka-Rajshahi route was halted as Dhaka-bound ‘Dhumketu Express’ scheduled to start at 7:00 am from Rajshahi was yet to arrive the station.
Regarding the suspension of train movement Railways Minister Mujibul Haq told UNB that there is no government instruction for stopping train services. “Train services were halted on different routes as precautionary steps,” he said.
Meanwhile, bus and launch services have also been suspended “fearing violence” ahead of the opposition’s programme.
Transport owners and workers said they have suspended the operation of buses and launches on several routes due to pressure from different sections and security reasons.
According to reports reaching the UNB news desk no long-route bus left for Dhaka on Saturday from Laxmipur, Faridpur, Joypurhat, Munshiganj, Gazipur, Narsingdi, Rajshahi Keraniganj, Narayanganj and Savar. Besides, Dhaka’s bus communications with Barisal and Sylhet remained stopped from Friday.
Inland Launch Owners’ Association Narayanganj district committee Badiuzzaman said although some launches left Narayanganj for other places but no launch arrived there.
In the capital, most buses stayed off the streets, adding to the commuters woes.
The commuters, including office-goers and students, were seen waiting for busses at city bus stands to reach their destinations but the number of vehicles was much less than the other normal days.
Rickshaws, human-haulers, CNG-run auto-rickshaws and battery-run three-wheelers were dominating the city streets.
Some people were also seen going to their destinations in rickshaw-vans while many more on foot.
Meanwhile, opposition BNP on Saturday alleged that the government itself has created a non-stop blockade against people with the help of the administration in a bid to foil the 18-party’s march for democracy programme.
In a statement, BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged that the government has stopped the movement of all types of public transport, including bus, train and launch, to resist the wave of lakhs of Dhaka-bound people from across the country to join Sunday’s March for Democracy programme scheduled to be held at Nayapaltan in the city.
Source: UNBConnect
