Chuadanga: Bus and minibus services on all routes from Chuadanga have been suspended as the Inter-District Bus-Minibus Owners' Association initiates a strike protesting the alleged attack on bus workers by e-bike drivers.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the abrupt transport strike has caused significant inconvenience for passengers, many of whom are left stranded at bus terminals or are forced to utilize alternative transportation at increased costs. Haji Abul Kalam Azad, the general secretary of the Chuadanga Inter-District Bus-Minibus Owners' Association, officially announced the strike on Friday evening.
Local residents reported that a battery-powered e-bike driver attempted to enter the city against the regulations in the Daulatdiar area of Sadar upazila in Chuadanga district on Thursday. At one point, law enforcement and representatives from the bus workers' union halted the driver and sent him back. Subsequently, the e-bike driver, along with his associates, gathered in the Alukdia area, stopped a bus on the Chuadanga-Meherpur regional highway, and assaulted the bus driver and supervisor. They also attacked the vehicle and held the two workers captive. Upon receiving information, a team from Chuadanga Sadar Police Station arrived and rescued the driver and supervisor.
In protest of the incident, leaders and workers of the Chuadanga-Alamdanga Bus-Minibus Workers' Union blocked the road in the Daulatdiar area by positioning buses and demanded punitive action against the driver. The blockade was later lifted following assurances from the Superintendent of Chuadanga Police that a thorough investigation would be conducted.
However, bus services remained suspended throughout the day on the Chuadanga-Meherpur, Chuadanga-Hatboalia, and other internal routes in the district on Friday. Furthermore, services were halted on the Chuadanga-Meherpur, Chuadanga-Jibannagar-Hasadah, Chuadanga-Jhenaidah, Chuadanga-Kushtia, and Chuadanga-Hatboalia routes from Saturday morning, as reported by transport owners and workers.
Passengers expressed that the unexpected strike disrupted their daily routines and made it challenging to reach their destinations promptly. Meanwhile, leaders of the bus owners' and workers' associations have declared that no buses will operate from Chuadanga on any route until the administration ensures a comprehensive investigation into the alleged attacks on workers and implements measures to curb the illegal operation of e-bikes on the roads.