Sayedabad sees limited long-distance bus services
Long-distance bus services from the capital’s Sayedabad terminal operated on a limited scale on Thursday (November 13) amid the ‘Dhaka Lockdown’ programme announced by the Awami League, whose activities remain banned. Many bus owners refrained from operating their vehicles out of fear, leaving passengers stranded.
Transport owners and workers said several buses have been set on fire in different areas. “If such expensive vehicles are burnt, small owners will be ruined. And if passengers are on board, the damage could be even greater. Considering these risks, many have decided not to operate buses since morning,” they added. A further decision will be taken later in the day after assessing the situation.
However, leaders of transport owners’ and workers’ associations said no official decision had been made to suspend bus operations.
A visit to various points along the Dhaka–Chattogram Highway in the Jatrabari area early Thursday revealed that long-distance bus services were almost entirely halted, with only a few buses operating after long intervals.
According to transport sources in Sayedabad, a few major bus operators—such as Green Line, Sakura, and Saint Martin—were running a limited number of buses. Local bus services within Dhaka were also operating on a much smaller scale.
Raju Ahmed, a staff member at the Antra Paribahan counter serving the Patuakhali route from Dholairpar in Jatrabari, told Jago News, “Bus services are suspended. We don’t know when operations will resume. Passengers who booked tickets in advance are being refunded.”
Abdul Kader, a ticket seller for Kings Paribahan, said, “Owners have stopped services out of fear. None of our buses are operating.”
Shahriar Hossain, a resident of Uttar Rayerbagh in Jatrabari, said, “I had an urgent need to go to Patuakhali early this morning. I had already booked an advance ticket with Antra Paribahan, but around 6:00 am the counter called to inform me that the bus wouldn’t run. Still, I came to the terminal, hoping I might find a way to travel.”
Alam Dewan, owner of Al Arafah Paribahan and joint secretary of the Dhaka Road Transport Workers Federation, told Jago News, “There is no official decision to halt bus services. We are operating our buses, but many owners may have chosen not to run theirs due to fear.”