Transport strike: Suffering knows no bound

Mostafijur Rahman Nasim: Transport system is the main vein of any community across the globe. People suffer most if the transport system collapses.

The transport owners or organizations call strike showing so many excuses regularly. Sometimes, it seems to us that transport organizations block the breathing system of city dwellers announcing strike. 

A countrywide indefinite transport strike, enforced by Road Transport Workers Federation, left nation in distress and caused immense sufferings from yesterday.

Following a court verdict, the transport organization has called the strike across the country. But, the general people have become the main victim of the transport strike.

The reason behind the ongoing transport strike is- a Dhaka court recently sentenced a bus driver life-term imprisonment in connection with an accident that killed five people, including filmmaker Tareque Masud and cinematographer Mishuk Munier, in 2011.

Protesting the court verdict, the transport organization has made victim general people stopping all type of vehicles movement on highways. As a result, in the capital, no inter-district bus left Gabtoli, Mohakhali or Sayedabad bus terminals today.

Besides, no buses were allowed to enter the capital from rest of the country which makes the situation worse. Patients including, pregnant women, heart patients and people are facing serious trouble due to the transport strike. 

Office goers were forced to walk or ride tricycles to get to their offices. Students also faced trouble due to the ongoing strike.

Media reports said that transport workers stopped private vehicles, cars and CNG run-auto rickshaws on the roads in Savar and Manikganj highways.

A high official of Gabtoli Traffic Division said the situation in the area improved a little when police talked to truck workers to remove blockade. But, they again started vandalizing in the area around 9:00am.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner for traffic (west) Liton Kumar Saha said all types of vehicular movement is stopped due to the transport strike.

Even, loading and unloading of goods at Benapole land port came to a halt due to the strike. The goods-carrying vehicles remained stuck at Benapole land ports.

Earlier, similar situation was seen in the country as the transport owners or organizations call such type of strike regularly.

The concerned authority should find a real solution to get rid of the strike and sufferings of people.

If a patient die due to this type of strike then who will take the responsibility? Or, who will pay the overall economic loss of general people?

In addition, the country face image crisis when a tourist or foreigner could not move to their desired place due to this type of transport strikes.

So, the people expect a quick and permanent solution of this problem.


risingbd/DHAKA/Feb 28, 2017/Nasim/Mukul