Dhaka commuters suffer due to transport shortage amid political rallies, clashes
Commuters in the capital are facing trouble getting public transport on Saturday as the number of buses plying the city roads decreased significantly after news broke out that police and Awami League activists were clashing with BNP men at various entry points to Dhaka.
The BNP and the ruling Awami League are holding simultaneous sit-in programmes at Dhaka entrances today.
Due to the strong presence of law enforcers at the entrances, there was no significant traffic congestion on the roads but the number of buses and other public transport inside the capital has decreased and daily commuters are bearing the brunt of it.
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Hundreds of passengers were seen standing on roads across the city waiting for buses. One such passenger, Hannan told The Business Standard, "I came from Savar to Aminbazar by a bus and then reached Gabtali on foot. I have to go to Uttara but there is no bus here while the CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers are demanding exorbitant fares."
After reaching Gabtali with his family by bus from Dinajpur, a man named Mintu Molla expressed his anger about not getting a bus to Narayanganj.
He told TBS, "There was no transport issue on the way from Dinajpur. But Gabtali became busless all of a sudden. How can I travel to Narayanganj now with my wife and children?"
Visiting various points in Gabtali, The Business Standard observed very little traffic on the roads leading in and out of the capital.
Although long-haul buses are entering the capital carrying passengers, very few buses are seen leaving the capital. Many counters of the Gabtali Bus Terminal were seen closed after the clashes.
Md Jony, the counter manager of Shyamoli NR Travels, told The Business Standard that there is no problem outside Dhaka, the problem is inside.
"Local buses are not plying due to political violence. We have stopped selling tickets since the clashes began around 11 am," he said.
As there were fewer buses inside the city, many passengers were seen trying to reach their destinations on CNG or ride-sharing motorcycles.
An Uber bike rider named Sabuj told The Business Standard, "As buses vanished from the roads due to fear of vandalism, the demand for CNG-driven auto-rickshaws and ride-sharing motorcycles rose suddenly. I myself am getting a lot of passengers today."
From a grand rally in the capital's Nayapaltan on Friday, the BNP announced sit-ins at major entry points to Dhaka on Saturday as part of its all-out movement to oust the Awami League government and to hold the upcoming national election under a non-partisan government.
The opposition party also called upon its leaders and activists not to leave the streets until the government steps down.
The Awami League, on the other hand, vowed to counter the opposition movement at any cost.
On Friday, three affiliated bodies of the ruling Awami League also held a rally at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram.
Following the BNP's announcement of the sit-in programme, the Awami League also announced holding programmes at the city's entry points.
The simultaneous programmes of the arch-rivals on the same day have made public transport owners worried.
Additional members of the police and other law enforcement agencies have been deployed to the important entrances of Dhaka ahead of the planned sit-ins.
