Transport owners may not bring out vehicles fearing attacks by BNP men: Home Minister

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Thursday said that transport owners and workers may refrain from bringing out their vehicles fearing attacks by BNP leaders and activists.

"Bus owners saw BNP's arson attacks in the past. They torched buses at the sight of transport workers rolling their bus wheels. If they [transport owners] think it is not safe, they may not run their vehicles on roads," the home minister said in a press conference at the Home Ministry today (27 October).

"We are not forcing them (transport leaders). They are independent. They can decide what they want to do. We do not interfere in their decisions," he said.

The government is not barring BNP from holding political rallies anywhere, said the home minister.

Meanwhile, Rangpur District Motor Owners' Association and Barisal Bus owners have called for  separate two-day transport strikes on 28-29 October and 4-5 November respectively.

However, the announcements came at a time when the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is scheduled to hold its fourth divisional rally in Rangpur on 29 October and in Barishal on 5 November.

A similar transport strike was held in Mymensingh and Khulna before the BNP's mass rallies.

BNP leaders alleged that the government is forcing bus owners to hold strikes to disrupt the rally. The previous transport strikes blocked off key routes to Mymensingh and Khulna for party workers while also affecting ordinary citizens.

Earlier on 23 October, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said he has nothing to do if private bus operators call a sudden strike and cause public sufferings.