A countrywide general strike called by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami for August 12-13 has forced many people to return their advance bus and train tickets dropping the plan to celebrate the Eid festival in the outlying areas. On Sunday it was found that many people, mostly parents of schoolchildren, were returning advance tickets at the Kamalapur railway station and inter- district bus terminals in the city.
For Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr the government announced holidays at schools from July 14 to August 12 and guardians planned to celebrate the Eid with their children at their country homes and return to the cities by August 12.
The students of class V and VIII and X have to take exams immediately after the classes resume but the hartal called for August 12-13 would make it difficult for the students to return to the city in time after celebrating the Eid at their village homes. The city dwellers also fear that the August 12-13 hartal might be extended for one or two more days and there might be scarcity of transports to return to work stations.
`We had planned to leave Dhaka on August 7 for Barisal and return on August 12 and bought bus tickets accordingly. But the transport operators informed us that no buses would leave Barisal for Dhaka on August 12 and 13,’ said Rafiqul Islam, father of a class VIII student of BIAM School and College in Dhaka.
Rafiq who is an official of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, said that he must have to join office on August 12.
`We will certainly face difficulties in returning to Dhaka as transports would not be available. In that case we would be forced to stay back at village home for nearly one week,’ he said adding, ‘The hartal call has forced us to change the plan and decide to celebrate Eid in Dhaka though it is a matter of great shock for my son who wanted to meet his grandmother at the village home.’
When contacted, an employee at the railway information centre said that some people had returned tickets on Saturday and Sunday due to the strike call.
Tarik Al Habib, a Banasree resident who bought four tickets to go to Rajshahi
on August 6, came to the station to return the tickets as he has to join office on August 12.
A senior official of the Dhaka railway police told New Age that most of the tickets returned recently were for August 8.
‘It is quite natural that many people would not take the risk of journey during hartal,’ he added.
Trains, including the Chittagong-bound Mahanagar Godhuli and Sylhet-bound Kalni Express, left Kamalapur about half an hour late on Sunday.
Railways minister Mohammad Mazibul Haque, who visited the station on the day, claimed that the trains were late by only four or five minutes.
‘Jamaat is an anti-state party which even does not believe in Islam,’ he said and added that the railway would remain alert during the strike.
Transport operators started selling advance tickets for northern and southern districts on July 26 at Gabtoli bus terminal. By July 27, most of the tickets for August 6-8 were sold out.
Mohammad Ibrahim, a Dinajpur-bound passenger, said that he had bought five advance tickets to go to Dinajpur on August 6.
‘I returned the tickets on Saturday as my daughter has to take exam on August 14. I do not want to take risk as there are strikes on August 12 and August 13,’ he added.
Yousuf Al Mamun said that he was scheduled to go to Barisal on Saturday to celebrate Eid but returned the ticket on Friday fearing trouble in returning to the city.
Shyamoli Paribahan counterman Mohammad Zakir told New Age on Saturday that many people had returned advance tickets at their counter.
‘People are specially returning tickets for August 6 and August 7 fearing difficulties in returning to Dhaka due to the two-day hartal,’ he said.
A Hanif Enterprise counterman said that though advance tickets for August 8 were sold out by July 27, some tickets were still available.
Countermen of Subarna Paribahan, Shohag Paribahan, Eagle, Soheli Transport, Ishwardi Paribahan, Chandra Paribahan, Ananda Deluxe, Sonar Tari Paribahan, Zaker Paribahan, Royal Paribahan, AK Travels, Keya Paribahan and SR Travels said that people were calling them over phone for returning advance tickets.
-With New Age input
