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Bus workers ended their road blockade in Dhaka’s Mohakhali area after nearly three hours on Thursday evening, following assurances from the administration that their demands would be addressed.
However, labour leaders warned that they would return to the streets if their demands were not fulfilled.
Yusuf Ali Mridha, vice-president of the Mohakhali Workers’ Union, said the administration had assured them that their demands would be met.
“If the demands are not fulfilled, we will take to the streets again from Sunday,” he said.
Earlier, at around 3pm, a group of bus owners and workers blocked the road in front of Mohakhali Bus Terminal by placing several buses across the road.
They were heard chanting slogans demanding the resignation of DMP Traffic Division Additional Commissioner Anisur Rahman and protesting against the dumping of buses, fines and alleged police harassment.
The blockade brought traffic on both sides of the road to a standstill, causing severe congestion in Mohakhali and surrounding areas, including Banani, Gulshan, Tejgaon and Satrasta. Thousands of commuters were affected.
The protest began after police removed several buses from the Mohakhali area and sent them to a dumping ground in Purbachal. Bus owners and workers have expressed dissatisfaction with the move.
During the blockade, police Sergeant Belal Hossain, who was on duty in the area, said workers had blocked both sides of the road in front of the terminal, causing extensive traffic congestion.
The Gulshan Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police said on Facebook that transport workers had blocked the road to protest police action to move buses to a dumping ground in an effort to keep traffic around Mohakhali Bus Terminal smooth and uninterrupted.
A bus owner, who identified himself as Kamruzzaman, alleged that vehicles were not being released even after owners paid fines.
“Even after paying the fine, vehicles are not released. Sometimes 10 to 12 days pass without the vehicles being released. Besides, police are harassing both owners and workers in various ways,” he said.
Bus driver Kamrul Hasan alleged that police were sending buses parked outside the terminal to the dumping ground and imposing towing charges.
He also claimed that the designated area in Purbachal lacked adequate security for the buses.