Traffic halted on Dhaka–Mymensingh route amid student protest against worker discrimination

PNN News Desk | Mymensingh:
Traffic on the Dhaka–Mymensingh highway came to a standstill following a dispute between a bus worker and Julyyoddha (Freedom Fighter) Abu Raihan aboard a United Service bus in Mymensingh.

The incident occurred on Friday night when bus worker Jhontu allegedly behaved indecently with Abu Raihan as he boarded the bus, prompting Raihan to get off. In response, activists from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement staged a sit-in in front of the United Bus Counter at Baskanda in the city.

At the same time, transport workers began their own protest on the Dhaka–Mymensingh Bypass from Saturday noon, blocking all vehicular movement. As a result, ordinary passengers were stuck in traffic for three to four hours, while some sought alternative routes to reach their destinations.

Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shibirul Islam said police, the district administration, and army personnel went to the bus terminal to defuse tensions. Jhontu, the bus worker involved in the incident, has been detained.

Alamgir Mahmud Alam, president of the Mymensingh District Motor Owners’ Association, stated, “The Julyyoddha group closed our bus counters and confined some workers. The administration and police are working to bring the situation under control.”

Authorities have said it may take some time before traffic on the Mymensingh–Dhaka highway returns to normal.