Bus services to and from Benapole remained suspended for the fifth consecutive day as transport owners and workers continued their indefinite strike, demanding the right to use the Benapole Port Terminal, leaving thousands of passengers, including those carrying passports, stranded and struggling with alternative travel arrangements at higher costs.

The strike was initiated by the Benapole Transport Owners’ Association on 22 November after the local administration relocated the bus terminal from near the land port’s international checkpoint to the Kagojpukur terminal, about four kilometres away.

Bablur Rahman Babu, president of the Benapole Transport Owners’ Association, said, “The administration’s unilateral decision has forced us to suspend all bus services between Dhaka and Benapole.”

The situation escalated on 22 November night when municipal personnel forcibly offloaded passengers from approximately 10 buses 12 kilometres from the international checkpoint. Passengers reported feeling unsafe and harassed, later relying on local transport to reach their destination.

A meeting between bus owners and local administration on Monday failed to yield a resolution as both parties remained firm in their positions.

Muslim Uddin Pappu, president of the Jashore District Bus Owners’ Association, said buses were previously allowed to drop off passport-carrying passengers directly at the checkpoint for safety. However, the administration’s sudden enforcement of the terminal relocation sparked the dispute.

Sharsha Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Nazib Hasan justified the decision, citing severe traffic congestion near the port caused by buses.

He said the new municipal bus terminal offers adequate facilities, including security personnel, prayer areas and breastfeeding corners.

“Buses can drop passengers at the checkpoint between midnight and 6am for safety reasons but cannot remain there beyond that timeframe,” he added.     

The matter has reportedly reached higher levels of administration. Brigadier General (rtd) M Sakhawat Hossain, adviser to the Ministry of Shipping and the Ministry of Labour and Employment, visited the port and instructed the local administration to temporarily suspend bus entry to the main gate of the international land port.

The prolonged strike has severely disrupted travel, especially for passengers arriving from India. Many are forced to rely on private cars, microbuses, trains and electric rickshaws, often at exorbitant costs.

Mehedi Hasan, a traveller from India, recounted, “After failing to find a bus, I had to hire a private car to reach Kushtia, paying Tk1,500 instead of the usual Tk250. Has the administration become numb to our plight?”

With no clear timeline for resuming bus services, transport workers and passengers alike are caught in limbo. Meanwhile, the local administration maintains that the new terminal is a necessary step to alleviate traffic congestion and improve the image of the Benapole Land Port.

Both sides remain locked in disagreement, leaving passengers to bear the brunt of the standoff.