Bus services on 17 Barishal routes suspended

BARISHAL, Aug 25: Bus services on 17 routes, including the busy Dhaka-Barishal route, were suspended on Tuesday after a dispute between bus owners and drivers of Mahindra three-wheelers and CNG-powered auto-rickshaws that disrupted public transport in the district.

Three-wheeler services were also halted, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at bus terminals and along roads.

The dispute began in the morning when Mahindra and CNG drivers gathered near the Rahmatpur bus stand on the Dhaka-Barishal highway and stopped local buses, according to drivers. Buses bound for Barishal and Bhurghata were later parked on Mirganj Road.

Three-wheeler drivers alleged that bus association employees assaulted and verbally abused them when they tried to pick up passengers at Nathullabad bus stand. They said a meeting scheduled for Monday to resolve the dispute did not take place, prompting their strike.

Bus owners then suspended services around noon and demanded that Mahindra and CNG vehicles be barred from operating on highways.

A driver of Shubhechha Paribahan was allegedly assaulted during the dispute and lost consciousness, officials said.

Ali Hossain, a Mahindra driver, said drivers would continue their strike until a permanent solution was reached.

Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain, president of the Nathullabad Central Bus Owners Association, called for action against what he described as illegal three-wheelers and warned of a longer shutdown. The disruption affected services to Dhaka, Pirojpur, Khulna and other destinations.

Officer-in-Charge of Airport Police Station Mohammad Sakhawat Hossain said police were holding talks with both sides but had yet to reach an agreement. Senior police officials had been informed, he said.