Chuadanga bus services suspended

Bus and minibus services on all routes from Chuadanga have been suspended as Inter-District Bus-Minibus Owners’Association go on stroke protesting the alleged attack on bus workers by the e-bike drivers.

The sudden transport strike has caused severe suffering for passengers, many of whom have been left waiting at bus terminals or forced to use alternative vehicles at higher fares.

Haji Abul Kalam Azad, general secretary of Chuadanga Inter-District Bus-Minibus Owners’Association, formally announced the strike on Friday evening.

Local people said a battery-powered e-bike driver attempted to enter the city in violation of regulations in Daulatdier area of Sadar upazila in Chuadanga district on Thursday.

At one stage, police and representatives of the bus workers’ union stopped the driver and sent him back.

Later, the e- bike driver along with his associates gathered in Alukdia area and stopped a bus operating on the Chuadanga-Meherpur regional highway and assaulted the bus driver and supervisor.

They also attacked the vehicle and held the two workers captive.

On information, a team of Chuadanga Sadar Police Station rushed in and rescued the driver and supervisor.

Protesting the incident, the leaders and workers of Chuadanga-Alamdanga Bus-Minibus Workers’ Union blocked the road in the Daulatdiar area by placing buses and demanded punishment of the driver.

However, the blockade was later withdrawn following assurance from the Superintendent of Chuadanga Police that a fair investigation will be conducted over the issue.

Meanwhile, bus services remained suspended throughout the day on the Chuadanga-Meherpur, Chuadanga-Hatboalia and other internal routes in the district on Friday.

Besides, bus services remained suspended on the Chuadanga-Meherpur, Chuadanga-Jibannagar-Hasadah, Chuadanga-Jhenaidah, Chuadanga-Kushtia and Chuadanga-Hatboalia routes, according to the transport owners and workers from Saturday morning.

Passengers said the unexpected strike had disrupted their daily activities and made it difficult to reach their destinations on time.

Meanwhile, leaders of the bus owners' and workers' associations said no buses would operate from Chuadanga on any route until the administration ensures a proper investigation into the alleged attacks on workers and takes visible steps to stop the illegal operation of e-bikes on roads.