Staff Reporter :
The transport strike continued for the third consecutive day on Sunday across the country including capital city protesting the hike in fuel prices.
As a result, students, commuters and office employees have faced enormous problems to reach their destinations.
Utilizing the opportunity, the drivers of rickshaws, CNG-run auto rickshaws and ride-sharing motorbikes were charging extra fares from the passengers.
Only some state-owned BRTC buses were seen to operate in the capital, but those were crowded with passengers.
On the morning, many people were seen to wait at Azimpur bus stand for the public transports.
Faruque Hossain, an employee of a private company, told the New Nation that his office is located in city’s Uttara and he used to go there by VIP bus regularly. But all type of public transports were on strike.
When I called for CNG-run auto rickshaws, it demanded four or five times more extra fares, he added.
On Sunday evening, some passengers, old and tender-age were seen to wait at the city’s Gulistan bus stand for a long time.
When asked, victim passengers told the New Nation that they have been waiting here since 3pm for the public transports, but there was no bus to get into.
I am here along with my mother, wife as well as my minor baby. We still don’t know how long have to wait for the buses, victim passenger said.
Many irritated passengers also mentioned that this strike is yet another example of how the common people could be held hostage by transport sector leaders and workers.
Among the worst affected were candidates seeking admission to seven colleges under the University of Dhaka.
Besides, there were two dozen government recruitment tests as well on last Friday. People in other divisional cities, including Rajshahi, Rangpur, Khulna, Sylhet, and Mymensingh, also suffered for the lack of public transports. No inter-district bus operated on the highways last three days.
Earlier, on Wednesday, the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) raised the prices of diesel and kerosene at the retail level by Tk15 per litre in order to keep them in line with the global market.
Later on Thursday, truck and covered van owners called for a nationwide indifinite strike from Friday protestiong the hike in fuel prices.
The new price of diesel and kerosene in the country is Tk 80 litre. The previous price of a litre of diesel and kerosene in Bangladesh was Tk 65.
The government raised the fares of diesel-run buses by 27 percent amid a nationwide transport strike in protest against fuel price hike.
