The leaders of bus owners and labor unions of 21 districts of the southwestern region have announced a two-point movement demanding the suspension of BRTC bus movement at the upazila level and the banning of dangerous three-wheelers, Nachiman, Karimon, Bhatvti on the highway. For this purpose, they formed a movement implementation committee of 11 members. On Saturday around 11:30 pm, they announced this decision to the journalists in the afternoon after a day-long meeting in the hall of BRAC Learning Center located in Domrakandi, Faridpur. Faridpur District Minibus Owners Association President Shah Alam Mukul presided over the meeting.
The bus owners and labor leaders present in the meeting said that after the launch of Padma Bridge, BRTC buses are running at the upazila and even at the union level without paying attention to the rules. In this, the transport owners are now in a state of winding up their business. Besides, three-wheeler movement on the highway is not stopped even after four bans from the High Court. A kind of chaos is being created in the transport sector.
They alleged that the boys of the student organization are now doing business in BRTC buses. Alam Sadhu, Nasimon, Karimon and other three-wheeler vehicles are being driven by maswari donation in the mahal special. But they have no documents, no permission to drive.
BRTA is running like a three wheeler. Noting that they do not need any documents or approval, it was said in the meeting that a written application has to be made to the District Commissioner before the BRTC movement. Buses can ply only after getting the approval of the Divisional Commissioner. But now there is no harm in all this. Besides, they also said that there are no rules for BRTC movement at the upazila level.
President of Gopalganj District Bus Owners Association Elias Hossain, President of Jessore District Bus Owners Association Md. Badruzzaman, President of Faridpur District Bus Owners Association Khandkar Rashed Islam, General Secretary Anisur Rahman, Former General Secretary Kamruzzaman Siddiqui Kamrul, Madaripur District Bus Owners addressed the meeting among others. Association President Kamrul Hossain Tushu, Faridpur District Minibus Owners Group Vice President Shaheen Chowdhury, General Secretary Md Sobhan Chowdhury, Kushtia District Bus Owners Association General Secretary Mokbul Hossain Chowdhury Lablu, Magura District Bus Owners Group Vice President Kamruzzaman Milan, Chuadanga District Bus President of Owners Association M. General Islam, General Secretary of Narail District Bus Workers Union Md. Moktul Hossain, General Secretary of Jhenaidah District Workers Union Ashrafuzzaman Khokon, Vice President of Shariatpur District Bus Owners Group Md. Sakhawat Hossain Chunnu etc.
At the end of the meeting, a committee consisting of 11 members was formed headed by Faridpur District Minibus Owners Association President Shah Alam Mukul. Shah Alam Mukul told reporters that they will organize a long movement in 21 districts of the south-western region to demand the banning of three-wheeler passenger transport on
zhighways, ignoring the ban of the High Court and bringing order to BRTC traffic.
For this, they will first make a symbolic human chain of one hour in each district with a month-long time. Then after at least five rallies at the district level, the final movement will take place.
In order to make this movement fruitful, they will coordinate the movement with the bus owners and workers of this region.
He said that along with buses and minibuses, transport owners should also join this movement. Everyone should join our movement directly and indirectly. They will build a large-scale movement through everyone's involvement.
Leaders of bus and minibus owners and labor organizations of 16 districts including Faridpur, Jessore, Gopalganj, Madaripur, Shariatpur, Rajbari, Kushtia, Chuadanga, Pirojpur, Narail, Jhenaidah and Magura were present in the meeting.
Meanwhile, if the two demands are not met by September 19, he announced a strict movement to stop the bus service in 21 districts of the southwestern region from September 19.