Rajshahi-Natore bus standoff enters second day, passengers stranded

Bus services on the Rajshahi-Natore route remained suspended for a second consecutive day on Saturday (September 5) following an internal dispute between transport workers, leaving passengers travelling to Dhaka and other destinations stranded.

The suspension began without prior notice on Friday morning, and services had not resumed by Saturday morning.

Many passengers were forced to use rickshaws, auto-rickshaws and human haulers to reach their destinations.

Passengers arriving at the Rajshahi bus terminal were left waiting as buses operating through Natore to Dhaka, Rangpur and other destinations remained off the road.

The dispute followed an incident on Thursday when workers in Natore allegedly removed passengers from a Rabbi Paribahan bus travelling on the Rajshahi-Darshana route and transferred them to another bus.

The Rabbi Paribahan bus was subsequently held in Natore.

Nazrul Islam Helal, general secretary of the Rajshahi Road Transport Group, said Rajshahi-based buses operating through Natore had been suspended since Friday morning and efforts were underway to resolve the issue.

Abdul Majid, general secretary of the Natore District Transport Workers’ Union, said the Rabbi Paribahan bus had entered Natore without permission and was sent back to Rajshahi by local transport owners and workers.

He alleged that six or seven Natore-based buses were subsequently held in Rajshahi, triggering the suspension of bus services between the two districts.