Photo: Collected
Commuters faced severe difficulties on Sunday as the indefinite transport strike, enforced by long-route transport owners in Benapole, continued for the second consecutive day.
No long-route buses departed from or arrived at Benapole from Dhaka.
Transport owners called the strike on Saturday in protest against a recent municipal decision requiring transport workers to drop passengers 2 km away from the Benapole municipality international check-post.
The government built a massive transport terminal at Benapole check-post at a cost of Tk 30 crore to streamline immigration and customs procedures, aiming to facilitate faster travel to India.
However, many commuters arriving in Benapole sought shelter in various areas while others were seen using easy bikes and local buses to reach Jashore.
Last week, the Jashore deputy commissioner held a meeting with transport workers to address traffic congestion issues. The meeting decided that India-bound passengers would be dropped off at the municipality terminal, located 2 km away from the Benapole check-post.
Passport holders expressed frustration, alleging that while Indian authorities have constructed a passenger terminal adjacent to their immigration facilities for travelers' convenience, Bangladesh's terminal, located 2 km away, has created significant hardships for them.
Bablur Rahman Babu, president of the Long-Route Transport Owners Association, said, “This sudden decision by the local administration has caused immense difficulties for passengers traveling on long-distance buses, subjecting them to unnecessary harassment.”
Kazi Nazib Hassan, the municipality administrator, clarified that long-route buses are permitted to enter Benapole check-post between 12 am and 6 am to ease traffic congestion.
Messenger/JRTarek
