Bus boycott extended in Sylhet

The Brihattar Jainta Samannaya Samity has enforced the boycott since October 13 to press for resumption of the BRTC bus service on Sylhet-Tamabil-Jaflong route.

The Samity leaders announced the extension of boycott at a big rally at Jaintapur upazila headquarters on Wednesday night.

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They also threatened to enforce tougher programmes like hartal and wildcat strike if the demand was not met by October 21.

The organisers called on the transport owners and workers to extend support to their programme. They also criticised the administration for its silence over the issue.

Chaired by ex-upazila chairman of Jaintapur Sirajuddin Ahmed, the rally was attended by the people and leaders of political parties from the three upazilas.

During the boycott, passengers have been using different modes of transports in the three upazilas. Most of the buses and minibuses have stayed off the road as few passengers are using their services.

On October 11, former upazila and UP chairmen of the region handed over a memorandum to the deputy commissioner (DC) of Sylhet on October 11. The DC assured them of taking up the issue with the higher authorities.

The BRTC (Bangladesh Road Transport Authority) service from Sylhet Railway Station on four routes was launched on September 10.

But the district administration stopped the service on Sylhet-Tamabil-Jaflong route second week into the launch in the face of resistance from the transport owners' and workers' associations.

Locals have been agitating since the close of the service. A half-day hartal was pressed on September 29 to realise the demand.