DHAKA: In a call for significant reform, Gono Odhikar Parishad President Nurul Haque Nur urged the interim government to implement stringent measures to establish discipline within the public transport sector. Addressing a gathering at the Jatiya Press Club, Nur vowed to persist in the fight against what he termed as “mafias” controlling the sector.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Nur, a former Vice President of the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU), emphasized the need for a new voter list to facilitate the rise of genuine owners to leadership positions within the Transport Owners’ Association. He expressed concerns about corrupt individuals infiltrating leadership roles, thus perpetuating the cycle of extortion and anarchy in the sector.
During the discussion titled “The way forward to stop extortion and anarchy in the road transport sector and establish the leadership of genuine owners-workers in the sector,” organized by the Public Transport Reform National Committee, Nur critic
ized the lack of progress in addressing Dhaka’s persistent traffic congestion. He called for expert consultation and effective government action to alleviate the issue.
Nur also criticized the government’s handling of the recent soybean oil price hike, attributing it to an artificial shortage created by an edible oil syndicate. He urged the government to take action against such syndicates rather than capitulating to their demands.
The event saw participation from several notable figures, including Gono Odhikar Parishad’s Ucchatar Parishad Member Abu Hanif, labor leaders like Sohel Rana Sampad, and members of the Transport Owners’ Association. The committee’s member secretary, Abdur Rahman, conducted the discussion, which was chaired by the committee’s convener, Aslam Chowdhury.