Hartal adds to public woes

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The countrywide 60-hour shutdown enforced by BNP led 18-party alliance has increased sufferings of the people in the capital for lack of transportation.

 

During the first day of the hartal, many office-goers were seen waiting for public transport at different city points, including Malibgah, Mogbazar and Shantinagar.

 

“I’ve been standing here for last one hour to get a transport to go to my office at city’s Agargaon, but could not find one yet,” Atiqul Islam, a private service holder, told this correspondent at Mogbzar in the morning.

 

“The quarrel of two leaders (Hasian and Khaleda) makes our life very difficult. What good they’ll bring for us through their politics?” he said.

 

Atiqul said political parties frequently call hartal in the name of their democratic right, which adds to public sufferings. “Does democracy imply pushing people into trouble?”

 

Tabarul Huq, another city dweller, said he has been suffering from fever for last one week and was scheduled to go to his doctor in the morning for treatment.

 

“How can I go to my doctor during the hartal? You know miscreants (pro-hartal pickets) explode cocktails on city streets. I don’t feel safe on city streets during hartal,” he said.

 

In the capital, four BRTC buses were set ablaze by some miscreants at BRTC bus depot in the city’s Gabtoli area around 4:30 am today (Sunday). Besides, unidentified miscreants exploded two crude bombs in Dhanmondi area early in the morning.

 

Picketers set fire to a bus at Kajla in Jatrabari around 8:20 am. Besides, 48 ward Awami League office at Bibir Bagicha in Jatrabari caught fire as opposition activists hurled two petrol bombs targeting the office.

 

Miscreants exploded three crude bombs in front of F Rahman Hall of Dhaka University around 11:20 am while two crude bombs were blasted from a procession of Jamaat-Shibir at Wireless Gate in Moghbazar area around 8:10 am.

 

Normal life of the day-labourers and low-income people is also being disrupted seriously amid shutdowns enforced by the opposition parties.

 

The day labourers, who live on their daily income, are being compelled to pass their days amid unbearable hardship during hartal because of lack of works.

 

Abdur Rahman, a day labourer, said he has to sit idle during the hartal period as it is very difficult to find work on a hartal day.

 

The BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance has called the nonstop 60-hour countrywide hartal from 6:00 am today (Sunday) demanding formation of a non-party polls-time government.

Source: UNBConnect