Slow response from the government left the general public to suffer for a second consecutive day as buses and trucks stayed off the roads protesting the fuel prices hike.

As if that were not enough, launch owners began an indefinite strike yesterday morning, making it almost impossible for people without a private vehicle to travel.  

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As thousands suffered on the roads and terminals, Obaidul Quader, road transport and bridges minister, urged transport association leaders twice to call off the strike. That was all. No minister has formally met the association leaders. Neither did the two authorities, the BRTA and BIWTA, hold a meeting to end the stalemate as the strike began on a weekend. And an “informal” meeting between the home minister and a section of transport leaders yesterday bore no fruit.

Meanwhile, the shipping of goods to the land and sea ports are being delayed as disruptions in the supply chain are causing prices of certain daily essentials to soar.

Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity urged the government to cancel its decision to increase fuel prices and relieve the people of the “anarchy”.

Transport associations, mostly those of the vehicle owners, enforced the indefinite strike of public transport, trucks and lorries from Friday morning.

Bus owners demanded increasing bus fares to cope with the fuel price hike while the owners of trucks and lorries demanded cancellation of fuel price hike.

The government on Wednesday hiked the price of each litre of diesel and kerosene by 23 percent or Tk 15, to cut losses of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation following the rise in fuel prices in the international market.

SLOW RESPONSE FROM GOVERNMENT

Hours after the government on Thursday hiked the fuel price, transport association leaders told journalists that they would enforce an indefinite strike from Friday. The announcement came from the Bangladesh Truck, Covered Van, Tank Lorry, Prime Mover Owners and Workers Coordination Council.

On the same day, Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association applied to the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry to raise bus fare.

Meanwhile, a government committee led by the chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority fixed Sunday to hold a discussion over bus fares.

On the other hand, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority fixed Monday to discuss the fare-related issues.

Obaidul Quader, also the general secretary of ruling Awami League, yesterday once again requested transport leaders to withdraw the strike.

He and his several cabinet colleagues were rather busy justifying the government decision to hike the fuel price. They cited the fuel price in India and the global market.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, as a first initiative, held a meeting with a group of transport leaders at noon yesterday, but the meeting ended inconclusively.

“So, the transport strike is not going to be withdrawn for now,” Talukder Mohammed Monir, one of the top leaders who met the home minister at latter’s Dhanmondi house, said.

“The home minister asked us to meet him. We raised our points before him and he heard our points. Now, he will talk with the high ups [of the government] and may call us again,” he added.

The home ministry said the meeting was an informal one.

Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury, secretary general of Jatri Kalyan Samity, said it is not supposed to take so long if the government is eager to solve it.

“People’s suffering intensifies due to the delay of the government,” he told The Daily Star yesterday.

Khandaker Enayet Ullah, secretary general of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, said, “We hope the problem will be solved at tomorrow’s [Sunday] meeting.”

Road Transport and Highway Division Secretary Nazrul Islam could not be reached over phone for comments.

Meanwhile, leaders of goods-laden vehicles associations decided not to take part in today’s meeting as it’s solely for re-fixing bus fare.

They also decided to continue the strike unless the government cut fuel prices to some extent; and cut the additional toll for Bangabandhu Bridge and Mukterpur Bridge, three leaders said.

“We hope the government will hold a meeting with us tomorrow. We would not call off strike until our demand is met,” one of the leaders said.

LAUNCH STRIKE

Launch owners started suspending launch operations across the country from yesterday to press home their demand–either change the decision of fuel price hike or increase the launch fare.

Although their association did not give any formal direction about strike, launch owners moved their vessels from the terminals, including Sadarghat in Dhaka, from yesterday noon.

The development came a day after Bangladesh Inland Waterways (passenger carriers) Association demanded the government to double the launch fare.

“We did not declare a strike but owners cannot afford the operational cost after fuel price hike. So they stopped launch operations,” Mahbub Uddin Ahmed, president of the association told The Daily Star yesterday.

Association sources said launch owners went into strike as the government agencies failed to take prompt action over their demands.

Contacted, Rafiqul Islam, director (traffic) of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), said they were scheduled to hold a meeting over the fare Monday.

“But now we will hold a meeting tomorrow [Sunday],” he told this newspaper. “Actually we could not hold a meeting today [Saturday] as it was the weekend,” he said.

LIFE IN DHAKA AND BEYOND

Like the previous day, city dwellers had to depend on rickshaws, CNG-run three-wheelers, motorcycles; and some state-owned BRTC buses for transportation. Taking advantage of the situation, all these modes charge extra money.

To avoid paying the higher fare, people were seen walking to their destinations in most of the areas.

Candidates for the admission test of the seven Dhaka University-affiliated colleges and Buet and some recruitment tests struggled to reach their exam centres on time for the transport scarcity.



Transport Strike: Sufferings on for slow govt response
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