Plying of all long-distance buses from Benapole Land Port has remained suspended as strike continues for the fifth day on Tuesday (November 26).
Though the plying of all long-distance buses from Benapole Land Port has remained suspended since Friday last, many passengers coming from India, intended to return homes by buses on Satkhira-Dhaka route from Navaron-Satkhira crossing, some 12 kilometers off the Benapole Checkpost. The Benapole Transport Association and transport workers also stopped plying of long-distance buses from Navaron-Satkhira crossing from Monday, causing immense sufferings to commuters.
Long-route bus services from Benapole have remained suspended as transport owners and workers continued indefinite strike in demand of permission to use the Benapole Port Terminal.
According to Benapole Transport Association President Bablur Rahman Babu, the strike was called as the administration had relocated the bus terminal from near the land port's international check post to the Kagojpukur terminal, located around 4 kilometres away from Benapole.
"In response to these changes, the Transport Owners Association has decided to halt all bus services between Dhaka and Benapole," he added.
For the past 20 years, buses plying from Dhaka and Chittagong have been dropping passengers directly at the port's checkpost terminal, with empty buses then parking at the terminal. However, recent changes now require these buses to drop passengers at a more distant terminal, causing security concerns and delays.
Passengers traveling to India have also expressed frustration, citing a new terminal built on the Indian side of the border at Petrapole to ease travel. In contrast, the terminal in Bangladesh at the border is being closed and passengers are being redirected to a terminal four kilometres away. This has caused significant hardship for travellers.
Benapole Transport Owners' Association general secretary Mizanur Rahman said the transport owners have decided to not operate their buses on Benapole-Dhaka route as the local administration and Poura Bus Terminal authorities declined to accept their demands. The Transport Owners Association also suspended plying of all long-distance buses on Satkhira route since Monday.
Navaron bus counter manager Bidyut whose buses ply on Dhaka-Satkhira route, said as the Benapole problems were not resolved, the Transport Owners Association has also suspended operating all long-distance buses from Satkhira. "We are also selling any ticket for the time being as the problems have not been settled yet."
