Nonstop bus strike in Dhaka City called off
Dhaka, Mar 10 (UNB)-The private bus owners Wednesday withdrew their indefinite strike in Dhaka city and its suburbs after a fruitful negotiation with the authorities concerned and considering the sufferings of the commuters.
Sharifuddin Khandaker, Managing Director of Shatabdi Paribahan, told UNB that they called off the strike at 12 noon.
“We called off the strike after chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the Communications Ministry Mujibar Rahman Sheikh assured us of fulfilling our demands during a meeting at Sangsad Bhaban in the morning,” he said.
Their demands include stoppage of “extortion”, arrest of the attackers on a bus owner and ensuring safety of the bus owners.
More than 2,500 buses of around 50 bus companies running in Dhaka City and its suburbs went on the wildcat strike on the demands after toll-collectors assaulted one owner.
The strike aggravated the misery of office-goers and other commuters, particularly schoolchildren.
The bus owners also submitted a memorandum to Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain for realizing their demands.
On Tuesday afternoon, the owners stopped plying their buses demanding action against unauthorized toll-collectors at different points in the city.
The trouble began when two buses of Shatabdi Paribahan were damaged by activists of Dhaka Sarak Paribahan Samity for refusing toll at Mirpur-2 at about 11am. Sharifuddin, also the owner of Shatabdi Paribahan, rushed to the spot where he and some of his fellows were badly beaten by the activists for declining to pay the toll.
After the incident, the owners took up the matter with the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on Communications Ministry, Mujibur Rahman Sheikh, on Tuesday evening. “He asked us to resume bus services with an assurance of looking into the matter,” said Sheikh.
The bus owners immediately held a meeting in the office of Swakalpa Paribahan Limited and decided to continue the bus strike for an indefinite period.
Meanwhile, Mansur, joint secretary of Dhaka Sarak Paribahan Samity, said the toll of Tk 70 for each bus was fixed by the government. The fund is raised for the welfare of the transport owners and workers.
The strike created serious problem for the commuters. Hundreds of people were seen standing at bus stoppages. Some commuters were seen taking rickshaw-vans to reach their places of work. In the absence of buses, rickshaw-pullers demanded double fares.
Witnesses said only a few buses were plying the busy Dhaka-Gazipur route during the strike. The sprawling city streets looked virtually deserted due to the strike.
Sharifuddin Khandaker, Managing Director of Shatabdi Paribahan, told UNB that they called off the strike at 12 noon.
“We called off the strike after chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the Communications Ministry Mujibar Rahman Sheikh assured us of fulfilling our demands during a meeting at Sangsad Bhaban in the morning,” he said.
Their demands include stoppage of “extortion”, arrest of the attackers on a bus owner and ensuring safety of the bus owners.
More than 2,500 buses of around 50 bus companies running in Dhaka City and its suburbs went on the wildcat strike on the demands after toll-collectors assaulted one owner.
The strike aggravated the misery of office-goers and other commuters, particularly schoolchildren.
The bus owners also submitted a memorandum to Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain for realizing their demands.
On Tuesday afternoon, the owners stopped plying their buses demanding action against unauthorized toll-collectors at different points in the city.
The trouble began when two buses of Shatabdi Paribahan were damaged by activists of Dhaka Sarak Paribahan Samity for refusing toll at Mirpur-2 at about 11am. Sharifuddin, also the owner of Shatabdi Paribahan, rushed to the spot where he and some of his fellows were badly beaten by the activists for declining to pay the toll.
After the incident, the owners took up the matter with the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on Communications Ministry, Mujibur Rahman Sheikh, on Tuesday evening. “He asked us to resume bus services with an assurance of looking into the matter,” said Sheikh.
The bus owners immediately held a meeting in the office of Swakalpa Paribahan Limited and decided to continue the bus strike for an indefinite period.
Meanwhile, Mansur, joint secretary of Dhaka Sarak Paribahan Samity, said the toll of Tk 70 for each bus was fixed by the government. The fund is raised for the welfare of the transport owners and workers.
The strike created serious problem for the commuters. Hundreds of people were seen standing at bus stoppages. Some commuters were seen taking rickshaw-vans to reach their places of work. In the absence of buses, rickshaw-pullers demanded double fares.
Witnesses said only a few buses were plying the busy Dhaka-Gazipur route during the strike. The sprawling city streets looked virtually deserted due to the strike.
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