Bus services of Rajshahi with rest of country suspended

Bus services from Rajshahi to Dhaka and all other routes have been suspended for an indefinite period following a dispute between transport owners and workers over the formation of an election management committee for the Rajshahi Motor Workers' Union.

The strike began on Monday evening after transport workers announced a work stoppage, leaving hundreds of long-distance passengers stranded. 

Many travellers were forced to wait for hours at bus terminals.

It was learnt that a meeting was held on Monday afternoon at the Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner's conference room, chaired by Deputy Commissioner Kazi Shahidul Islam, to discuss the formation of a five-member election management committee for the Rajshahi Motor Workers' Union.

Under the proposed structure, the committee would be headed by an Additional Deputy Commissioner as the district administration's representative and include representatives from the Department of Labour, Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, the Workers' Federation, and the Bus Owners' Association.

However, the proposal to include a representative from the Bus Owners' Association was opposed by Ershad Ali Poltu, former organising secretary of the district unit of the Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal. His objection prompted a protest from Nazrul Islam Helal, General Secretary of the Rajshahi Road Transport Owners' Association. The disagreement escalated into a heated argument, forcing the meeting to end without reaching a decision.

Following the meeting, transport workers returned to the bus terminal and announced an indefinite suspension of bus services from Rajshahi to Dhaka and all other routes nationwide. As a result, no long-distance buses departed from the terminal after Monday evening.

Commenting on the situation, Nazrul Islam Helal, General Secretary of the Rajshahi Road Transport Owners' Association, said the proposal to include a representative from the owners' association in the election management committee had triggered the dispute. 

He added that transport workers had independently decided to halt bus operations and that discussions with the local administration were underway to resolve the crisis.