Nationwide blockade paralyses long-haul transport due to passenger shortage in Dhaka terminals
While the traffic situation in Dhaka has remained notably subdued since Tuesday (31 October) morning, the ongoing three-day nationwide blockade organised by BNP, Jamaat and nine other political parties, has led to a severe shortage of passengers in long-haul buses, effectively bringing travel between cities to a halt.
At the inter-district bus terminals, very few buses have departed for their scheduled routes, and even fewer have arrived in Dhaka.
Representatives of bus companies at Gabtoli found themselves with ample idle time, as the lack of passengers left buses stranded. Some transport staff even resorted to enjoying leisure activities like playing cricket within the terminal premises.
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Despite counters remaining open, no buses left the Gabtoli terminal until 11:30am due to the acute shortage of passengers.
A similar scenario unfolded at the Mohakhali inter-district bus terminal, with long-distance buses reluctant to ply their routes due to fears of potential violence during the blockade and the evident passenger shortage.
Only two buses of Ena Paribahan were reported to have departed for Mymensingh from the Mohakhali terminal.
The Sayedabad bus terminal also witnessed a shortage of passengers, further adding to the challenges faced by the long-haul transport sector.
Meanwhile, at the Kallyanpur counter, no long-distance vehicles have left the terminal since the morning. This lack of movement is directly attributed to the scarcity of passengers seeking to travel out of the city.
Saiful Islam, the counter master at Nabil Paribahan, explained that the absence of passengers has rendered their vehicles grounded
He said, "We currently have two passengers waiting, but they cannot depart without more passengers joining the journey. Until we have enough passengers on board, the vehicles will remain at the counter."
Touhidul Islam and Mohammad Dulal, who arrived at the Kallyanpur bus counter with the intention of travelling to Chapainawabganj, shared their experiences. Both individuals had been working as masons in Dhaka for the past 15 days but found themselves jobless as construction activities halted amid the ongoing blockade.
Their quest to return to their hometown was met with disappointment as they discovered no long-distance buses available for their journey.
Touhidul expressed his distress, having waited for an hour and a half since 8:30am in the morning. Faced with the absence of long-distance vehicles from the counter, he contemplated the possibility of taking a train to reach his destination.
