Bus, launch, speedboat services halted

Staff Reporter :
In a bid to prevent BNP’s peaceful rally, a constitutional right to hold assembly without prevention, the bus and water vessel services have been suspended to prevent the programme in Barishal city on Saturday.
The owners of buses, launches, speedboats and three-wheelers did not at all care about the pains and immense sufferings of the general people. They said that they have their various demands to realise and such strikes have no connection with the BNP rally.
BNP, however, said it was a pre-planned tactic as part of the ruling Awami League government to prevent their leaders and workers from participating in the rally.
The operation of launches and speedboats in a number of river routes including Barishal-Bhola was suspended from Thursday as no water vessels left Barishal river port and DC Ghat, while no vessels arrived in Barishal from Bhola.
The strike of bus and three-wheelers will begin from today (Friday) and will continue till Saturday. The Barishal bus owners’ association called the strike some 10 days ahead of a BNP rally demanding the ban of three-wheelers and motorcycles.
Meanwhile, Mishuk, Baby Taxi, Taxi Car and CNG Drivers Workers Union on Oct 30 called strike with five-point demands including harassment by bus owners.
Our Barishal Correspondent adds: The launch and speedboat owners could not specifically tell why they have suspended the operations of water vessels from Thursday without any prior announcement till Saturday.
As a result passengers in different river routes connected with Barishal suffered the most and the sufferings will be intensified in the upcoming days.
Inspector of the Naval Safety and Traffic Management Department of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority Kabir Hossain said, “An attack incident took place in a launch named ‘Aulad’ in Bhola on Wednesday. Protesting the incident, the launch operation on Bhola route was suspended on Thursday morning.”
The launches on Mehendiganj and Maju Chowdhurirhat were in operation till 12pm on Thursday, he added.
Besides, the speedboat operations on Bhola-Barishal route have also been suspended without any specific cause till Saturday.
In order to avoid such strikes, thousands of BNP leaders and workers arrived in Barishal on Wednesday and Thursday and spent nights on the rally spot, hotels or relatives residences.
But there are allegations that police have been conducting drives in different residential hotels and threatening the hotel authorities to cancel the boarding of BNP men.
Hotel owners said that the administration has given new instructions while renting hotel rooms. But police said that such surveillance in hotels was part of their regular drive.
Senior officials of Barishal Metropolitan Police on Thursday visited Hotel Rodela International and Hotel Dhansiri on Katpotti Road. Such a visit spread a ‘rumour’ of police drive in other hotels in the area.
Manager of Rodela International said, “Some police personnel came here and stayed in the hotel for some time.” “We have not been instructed that we cannot entertain new borders. But the administration told us to follow the guidelines before renting rooms.”
“We have been told to take photocopies of NID cards and instant snaps of the border who wants to rent a room,” he added.
“It is our regular task whether the hotel authorities are keeping records of borders properly or not,” Ajimul Karim, Officer-in-Charge of Kotwali Model Police Station said.
He also said that the surveillance had been intensified before the BNP rally.
“BNP leaders and workers can stay in hotels. It is not a problem. We have conducted the drive to know whether there was any thief or mugger,” Fazlul Karim, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police said.
Meanwhile, BNP and its associate organisations have been regularly gathering in streets to distribute leaflets and hold processions to make the rally successful.
On the other hand, Jubo League has been holding various programmes in all wards in Barishal city regularly as part of their 50th founding anniversary in Dhaka on November 11.
As part of their programme Chhatra League led by Barishal Sramik League and Mahanagar Chhatra League brought out a motorcycle showdown on Wednesday.
Due to programmes of both ruling party and opposition, a tense situation is prevailing in Barishal city and many are apprehending of ‘clashes’
“Awami League is a democratic party and its programs are democratic. It is BNP’s habit to allege AL,” Joint Secretary of Mahanagar Awami League Hasan Mahmud Babar said.
Member Secretary of Mahanagar BNP Mir Jahidul Kabir said, “Awami League has suspended the operations of bus, launch, three-wheelers and speedboats on Nov 4 and 5 ahead of the BNP rally. They have also held processions in a bid to create disorder. We are preparing for a peaceful rally.”
He said that no obstructions can prevent the BNP from holding its rally peacefully.
Meanwhile, BNP has been carrying out its preparation for the stage on Bangabandhu Uddyan after getting permission from the administration.
Thousands of BNP leaders and workers from the six districts of the division have been gathering in Barishal.
The central leaders said the transport strikes would not bring any result as BNP leaders and workers have reached the venue and rest of them will reach through other means.
BNP workers are decorating the whole area including Mahanagar party office with colorful banners, festoons and posters containing photos of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman.
BNP Barishal Divisional Organising Secretary Bilkis Jahan Shirin said, “The waves of people cannot be stopped by strikes. If needed, our leaders and activists as well as general people will attend the rally on foot and bicycles.”
BNP has been expecting that tens of thousands of people will attend the rally to protest the government’s ‘misrule’ and demand for a caretaker government to hold a fair election.