Indefinite bus strike in Dhaka city and suburbs

Around 50 bus companies running more than 2,500 buses in Dhaka City and its suburbs went on wildcat strike for an indefinite period Tuesday causing serious problems to the commuters.
The owners stopped plying their buses at 1pm demanding action against illegal toll collectors at different points in the city.
The trouble began when two buses of Satabdi Paribahan were damaged by activists of Dhaka Swarak Paribahan Samity for reusing tolls at Mirpur-2 at about 11am. Sharifuddin Khandaker, owner of the Satabdi Paribahan, rushed to the spot. He and some of his fellows were badly beaten by the activists for declining to pay the tolls, witnesses said.
Sharifuddin who was treated in a clinic for his head injury told UNB tonight that activists of the Paribahan Samity has been demanding tolls for the last few days with threat of dire consequences. They demanded Tk 70 for each bus daily.
"The private bus companies are not members of the Dhaka Swarak Paribahan Samity and hence were are not obliged to pay tolls to it. We look after the welfare of our workers and pay higher wages and fringe benefits," said Sharifuddin.
He said they took the matter to chairman of parliamentary standing committee on Communication Ministry Mujibur Rahman Sheikh in the evening. "He asked us to resume bus services with an assurance of looking into the matter," said Sharifuddin. The insipid attitude of Mujibur Rahman has angered the bus company owners who met him in Sangsad Bhavan. They immediately held a meeting in the office of Sakalpa Paribahan Limited and decided to continue the bus strike for an indefinite period.
The meeting, attended by 36 bus owners or their representatives, decided not to pay tolls to Dhaka Swarak Paribahan Samity as they are not members of it. It decided to continue the strike until arrest and punishment to those who damaged the buses and inflicted injuries to Sharifuddin and others.
Mansur, joint secretary of Dhaka Swarak Paribahan Samity, said the toll of Tk 70 for each bus was fixed by the government. The fund is raise for welfare of the transport owners and workers. The wildcat bus strike has created serious problem to the commuters.
Thousands of people at the close of government and private offices were seen standing at bus stoppages. In the absence of buses, rickshaw pullers demanded double fare. Some buses who are plying without ticket counters in the city however continued services.