Bus services on all routes, including Dhaka and North Bengal, remained suspended from Barishal Nathullabad Central Bus Terminal following a violent clash between transport workers and students over half fare on Saturday night.
The services remained suspended till filing of this report on Sunday evening, causing serious suffering to passengers.
Hossain Abdullah, a transport worker, said that no buses left the terminal for any destination since Sunday morning.
A few buses of the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation, however, were seen operating on limited routes.
The clash erupted on Saturday night when a row broke out between students and bus staff over half fare for students.
At least 50 people from both sides were injured, according to those who clashed.
More than 50 buses along with several ticket counters were vandalised during the fight.
A visit to the Nathullabad bus terminal in city on Sunday afternoon found bus operation was entirely suspended from there, while tension hung in the air.
Students alleged that the clash broke out after a heated row had erupted with a bus supervisor over half fare for students.
鈥榃e did not torch or vandalise any buses,鈥� they claimed, alleging that several students were injured in the clash.
Mir Mosharraf Hossain, president of the Bus Owners Group association, said that nearly 50 buses were damaged during the clash, causing losses of Tk 3鈥�4 crore.
He added that at least 50 counters with laptops, computers and furniture were also destroyed at the time.
鈥楢round 50 workers, including one bus owner, were injured,鈥� Mosharraf said.
Bus Workers鈥� Union president Shahadat Hossain Liton said, 鈥榃e will block vehicle movement indefinitely. Compensation must be paid for the vandalised buses.鈥�
He also demanded arrangements for medical treatment of the 50 injured workers.
鈥業t must be ensured that such incident will not happen again. Only then, the vehicle movement will resume,鈥� Liton stated.
On the day, some Mahindras (three-wheeler human haulers) and CNG-run auto-rickshaws were seen operating on some of the nearby destinations lying along the routes where bus operation remained suspended.
Passengers travelling on those routes alleged that they were charged double the regular fare.聽
A passenger named Naznin Akhter said that the bus fare in Banaripara was Tk 60 but she had to pay Tk 120 for taking a CNG-run auto-rickshaw.
Another passenger named Atikul Islam said that the bus fare from Barishal to Gournadi was Tk 70 but he had to pay Tk 120 for going there on three-wheeler Mahindra.