Transport sector
Political leaders call the shots
STAFF REPORTER
A section of politically influential people are behind the chaos in transport sector that frequently enforce strikes at their whims, paralysing life across the country, sector insiders said.
The insiders said that the quarters, which dominate different organisations of transport owners and workers, usually remain behind the scene and use those entities to enforce strikes even by going against court verdicts and hold the countrymen hostages to push for their demands be those logical or illegal.These politically influential people have their own transport services as well.
According to the sources, transport service Swadhin Express is owned by Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, who is also the executive president of Bangladesh Sramik Federation, ENA Paribahan, Bashumati Paribahan, Shikhor Paribahan and ETC Paribahan are owned by Khandakar Enayet Ullah, general secretary of Sarak Paribahan Malik Samity, Rangpur Paribahan is owned by LGRD State Minister Mashiur Rahman Ranga, also president of transport owners association, LAMS Paribahan is owned by Ismail Hossian (Juba League president Dhaka North), Bihanga is owned by Awami League (AL) leader Pankaj Devnath, Himachal Paribahan is owned by a group of ruling AL leaders, Hanif Paribahan is owned by BNP leader Kafiluddin, Dhaka Paribahan is owned by BNP central leader and former minister Mirza Abbas, Azmeri Paribahan by executed Jamaat leader Matiur Rahman Nizami and Mirza Abbas, SR Paribahan owned by BNP leader GM Siraj and Dipjol Paribahan by BNP leader and actor Monowar Hossain Dipjol.
The sources said such a politically-affiliated owners syndicate has been controlling the entire transport sector since 1992 and some people are holding the same posts for the past 25 years.
If the syndicate is not dismantled, such strikes will continue to be used as a tool to realise their both logical and illogical demands, a transport owner said yesterday.
He said Khandakar Enayet Ullah has been leading Sarak Paribahan Malik Samity as its general secretary for 25 years.
Enayet Ullah first became the GS of the labourers body when BNP leader Mirza Abbas was the president. The government and the leadership of the Sarak Paribahan Malik Samity have changed several times but Enayet Ullahs post never changed, the transport owner added.
The same few faces are behind the chaos in transport sector not only the people even the transport owners fall victims to their whims and illogical demands, another transport owner told The Independent requesting anonymity.
He also added that many transport owners did not have their support for the illogical strike that was called off yesterday, but they had nothing to do as they cannot go against the syndicates decision.
Owner of a bus that plies on an inter-district route from Mohakhali in the capital alleged that one of the syndicate leaders takes between Tk 25 lakh and Tk 30 lakh as bribe for arranging a single route permit.
No one will get any route permit if that leader is not paid the amount, he said.
Sources in Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and some transport owners told The Independent that not only the transport owners, but the BRTA officials
and employees and the traffic department of police sometimes become helpless under the influence of the syndicate.
As a result, such types of wildcat strikes, movements without any logical grounds, erratic increase of transport fare, frequent harassment of passengers take place and no one even law enforcers dare to take action against them, the sources said.
The country witness the latest spell of transport strike (Tuesday and Wednesday), which was enforced to protest against a court verdict sentencing a driver, Zamir Hossain,
to life imprisonment for killing journalist-teacher Mishuk Munier and filmmaker Tareque Masud and
three others in an accident on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway in Manikganj and death sentence of another driver for killing a woman in a Savar accident.
Transport sector insiders also blamed the syndicate, Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan in particular, for the nearly 30-hour strike that caused the death of one transport worker and injury of scores others in clashes between transporters and law enforcers.
They said the decision of enforcing the strike came from a meeting at Khans official residence.
The minister at different times gave comments in favour of transport workers and against death sentence and life imprisonment of drivers for accidents, drawing criticisms from different corners.
A section of High Court lawyers yesterday demanded resignation of the minister for his comments, dubious role and for holding the position of a workers association leader despite being a minister.
Minister Shahjahan, however, clarified his position at a press briefing in the capital yesterday, saying, I am representing myself as a leader of the workers. My residence is open to all and meetings are held on various issues. But the report published against me regarding transport strike is totally fake and baseless.
The people will judge who were behind their sufferings, but as a minister I am expressing my sympathy to the people for their sufferings caused by the strike, he said in reply to a query.
He also dismissed the existence of any syndicate in the transport sector.
