Peoples Suffering on BNP's 12 March grand rally

The capital city experienced undeclared curfew like situation and remained cut off from other parts of the country on Monday due to the government’s strict steps to control BNP’s grand rally.

Panic created among the common people with huge presence of ruling Awami League activists along with law enforcers and paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on the city’s thoroughfares.

Presence of motorized vehicles on the city’s street the day was lower than that of the general strike days in recent years.

In addition, traffic movement between the city and outer districts was suspended by the government’s unofficial direction. No inter-district buses were seen plying the day.

The city dwellers mostly could not dare to come out from the residence fearing political clash like the 28 October in 2006. Even many office goers did not go to the workplaces.

Sufferings of the persons who come out from their residences to the workplaces knew no bound due to almost absence of public transports.

Law enforcing agencies including police and Rapid Action Battalion installed check-posts at the city’s strategic and entry points in the name of ensuring security to the public, while BGB patrolled on the city’s streets.

Many city dwellers alleged that law enforcers harassed them in the name of checking them in different points of the city. They also alleged that AL men are also joined with police, which intensified the harassment and panic.

They office goers had to count extra fare and time for renting rickshaws, van, CNG-run three wheelers and taxicab on their ways to offices and residences.

In the absence of passenger buses and low presence of private cars and other vehicles made the busiest capital clam one.

Police and Rab raided different mess and houses early hours of Monday and nabbed many people suspecting BNP and Jamaat men on the eve of the grand rally.

Rabiul Islam, employ of Al-Arafa Islam Bank headquarters and two others were arrested by Rab men at the night after Sunday on charge of his allegedly involvement with outlawed Islamic outfit Hizbut Tahrir, said an official of the bank seeking anonymity.

All the school of the capital remained closed unofficially on Monday while many guardians send their children to schools but later they came back as the school was closed.

Many guardians alleged if the school authorities issued official notice regarding this, they did not send their child to the school.

Most of the shopping malls, shops and many private offices in the city remained closed.

Passenger bus was hardly seen plying on the road while a few numbers of taxi cab, private cars, CNG-run three wheelers and motorbikes were seen to ply on the roads.

Hundreds of people were seen waiting at bus stoppage to go their destinations.

Dulal Mahmud, an official of Samsung Mobile care, told daily sun in the morning that “I waited for half and hour for bus in Azimpur bus stand but I found no bus.”

“Later, I hired a rickshaw with counting extra fare to go to my office in Dhanmondi,” he added.

Mamunur Rashid, a banker, said that “When I came in Mirpur 10 intersection at around 8am to go to my office in Motijheel but found no public bus.” He also said in hartal day few buses were run but today (On Monday) I did not see a single public bus was on road.”

While visited Syedabad, Gabtoli and Mohakhali inter-district bus terminal found no buses left or arrived at the three city terminals from where around 4000 buses leave for other districts every day.

People who went to Sayedabad, Gabtoli and Mohakhali bus terminal in the morning found all the counters are shut.

Shafiul Alam, a NGO official, said that he was scheduled to join a meeting in Khulna on Monday but there is no bus in bus terminal while all the counter are shut.

While visited Sadarghat launch terminal found no launch was in the terminal. A few numbers of launches were seen to leave from Sadarghat.

It was also seen that Sramik League activists patrolling the Sadarghat terminal to stop vessels dropping passengers at Sadarghat. They resist some launch to drop their passenger in the terminal.

They stopped the boat service in between Sadarghat and Keraniganj.

Rakibul Hasan, a Shariatpur bound passenger, said that he came Sadarghat to go Shariapur but he found no launch in Sadarghat.

Ferry services on Paturia-Daulatdia and Mawa-Kawrakandi routes remain suspended since Sunday night to till filing the report at 6:00pm.

People mainly patients, who was on way to Dhaka, suffers most as no ferry was running on ferry ghats.

However, the train services remained almost normal in Kamalapur Railway Station as train left and arrived in scheduled time except some trains.

Posted in: BNP,Sufferings