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Cumilla bus services suspended as owners enforce strike
Bus services from three terminals in Cumilla city remained suspended on Thursday as the Cumilla Bus Owners Association enforced a strike to press home their demands, causing severe inconvenience to passengers.
No buses left the Jangalia, Shasangacha and Chakbazar bus terminals since morning, halting bus movement on nearly 40 routes in the district.
Both inter-district and long-distance services including those on Cumilla-Dhaka, Cumilla-Chattogram, Cumilla-Sylhet and Cumilla-Chandpur routes remained suspended.
The strike was called demanding a halt to the operation of Aidi Paribahan on the Cumilla-Chandpur route from the Jangalia bus terminal.
Transport leaders alleged that thousands of buses and minibuses use the city’s three terminals every day but Aidi Paribahan has been attempting to operate from the terminals without proper route permits.
Aidi Paribahan Chairman Mir Parvez Alam alleged that the company began operating buses on the Cumilla-Chandpur route in 2023 after obtaining permission from the Chandpur Deputy Commissioner’s office.
However, he claimed that a syndicate of the Cumilla bus owners’ group obstructed their operations from the outset, resulting in the Cumilla district administration not issuing a route permit.
He said that since February this year, Aidi Paribahan has been forced to operate its services from Paduar Bazar Bishwaroad, about two kilometres away, instead of using the Jangalia terminal.
Despite no legal barriers, the company has yet to receive a no-objection certificate from the Cumilla district administration, he alleged.
Executive Vice-President of the Cumilla Bus Owners Association Md Tajul Islam said that although Aidi Paribahan had obtained permission from Chandpur district administration it failed to secure a route permit from Cumilla and despite this, the company has been trying to use Cumilla’s bus terminals.
When the attempt was made again on Thursday, all three terminals were kept closed from the morning, he said, adding that they would not resume services until the issue is settled.
The suspension of bus services caused severe hardship for office-goers, students and long-distance travellers.
Many passengers were seen heading to their destinations using alternative modes of transport at higher fares, reports UNB.