Gas supply will remain suspended for three hours in some areas of the capital on Tuesday. Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited said this in a press release on Monday (Feb 26). The supply will remain suspended in some areas of Dhaka from 11:00am to 2:00pm on Tuesday (Feb 27) for emergency replacement of gas pipeline. Gas supply will remain suspended for three hours in Maghbazar, Noyatola, Madhubagh, Tejgaon, Hatirjheel, Mirerbag, Gabtala, Greenway, Peyarabagh and Eskaton (Dilu Road and surrounding areas).  

Railway lines in the capital halted as hundreds of temporary railway workers protested on demanding job regularization. Workers blocked the railway line near the FDC in Kawran Bazar around 10am on Sunday. They also said that they will not leave the railway until the demand is met. Around 7,500 temporary workers have been working in the railways for 12-14 years.  The workers said that the railway authorities promised them to make their jobs permanent within three to four years, but they did not keep their words. They alleged that the railway authorities were now trying to outsource new workers instead of making their jobs permanent.  

According to the government direction and to halt spread of coronavirus daytime ferry service will remain stop between the routes of Paturia-Daulatdia and Shimulia-Kanthal Bari from today. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) informed that ferry service will remain operational in the night for goods laden transport. BIWTC Chairman Md. Tazul Islam confirmed the information at around 12:30 am on Friday. He said, the decision has been taken to avert transmission of coronavirus. Concerned authority including the law enforcing agency members will work from Saturday morning to implement the direction. From Friday morning it was seen that pressure of home bound people and transports increased through Paturia-Daulatdia river route. People were seen hustling on the ferries to reach their destination. According to the ghat authority, people are returning to their homes through the river routes keeping the Eid ahead. As the time went on crowd began to increase from the early morning and it turned a huge gathering at around 8:30 am. There are 20 ferries on Paturia-Daulatdia and Aricha-Kazirhat river route. The ghat authority keeps six small and four big ferries in operation. The ghat authority also said, pressure of passengers mounted on Shimulia-Banglabazar river route as launch and speed boat services are halted. Vehicle movements are being disrupted on the ferries. As a result more than a thousand personal and goods laden vehicles have been stranded at the ghat area. Currently 13 ferries are in operation for transport movement. AH    

Dhaka bound bus service from different districts was halted. Bus owners’ authority said the service was halted for security of bus and passengers due to the movement of students. Reports of our correspondents from different districts- Rajshahi: Bus service from Rajshahi to other parts of the country remained stop. As a result the general people are in sufferings. No bus plying was seen from Rajshahi from Friday morning. Most of the people were unaware of the incident. Finding no bus in the bus terminal they were in great sufferings. Bus owners said they were not allowing their bus to run due to lack of security. Habiganj: Habiganj district motor owners group called for transport strike. They called transport movement halt on within the district and inter district roads. The declaration came in at 11 pm on Thursday. One of the motor owners leader said that they called the strike due to lack of security and their strike will go until further instruction comes from the center. With this sudden declaration the passengers are in immense sufferings. Sirajganj: Sirajganj motor owners-workers association called for indefinite strike in the district protesting the vandalism over vehicles. They said that they will not allow their vehicles to move on roads until security for vehicles and workers is ensured. Mymensingh: Highlighting lack of security Mymensingh district motor owners association keep all kinds of Dhaka bound passenger buses plying halted from Friday morning. They also kept bus plying halted on Thursday highlighting the same reason. Brahmanbaria: The transport owners and workers claimed that plying of long route bus-trucks was halted from the district due to security reasons. Transport leaders said no bus left from Brahmanbaria city to other long route destination on Friday. Meherpur: Showing reasons to vandalism and torching of buses in Dhaka the transport owners and workers leaders called for transport strike in the district. As a result the long route bus plying was halted from there on Friday. They said that transport owners are in great loss following vandalism over the vehicles. As a result they called the strike following direction from the federation. Joypurhat: The indefinite transport strike has begun from Friday in the district called by the transport owners and workers. They called the strike protesting vandalism and torching of vehicles in Dhaka. The sudden strike caused serious problems to the commuters. Meanwhile, transport owners said, their strike will go on until the local administration ensures security for their transports and workers. Patuakhali: Bus strike is continuing in Patuakhali demanding security for the bus drivers and their vehicles. District bus and minibus owner association called the strike on internal and long route services. The sudden strike caused immense sufferings to the tourists who came to Kuakata. Noakhali: With the demand to protect them from the general students the transport owners and workers in the district kept all types of internal and long route bus service stop. This resulted serious problem to the Dhaka and Chittagong bound passengers. Feni: Transport owners and workers have stopped bus plying from Feni to Dhaka and Chittagong route. They stopped bus movement from Friday morning. One of the transport leaders said the drivers do not want to drive taking risk. That’s why they stopped plying of vehicles on roads according to the direction from the center. Faridpur: Showing security reasons transport owners and workers federation of the district for the second consecutive day keep Dhaka bound bus plying halted. Staying at the bus station for long and finding no alternative the passengers went to their homes back.  AH                 

The High Court has halted the decision of chopping down century old trees on Jessore-Benapole road for six months. A High Court bench of Justice Jubayer Rahman Chowdhury and Justice Iqbal Kabir delivered the order with ruling on Thursday. The High Court issued the rule asking the government to explain why the decision to chop down the trees should not be declared illegal. In another rule it also wants to know why a new development plan of turning the road into four lanes should not be taken without chopping down the trees. Lawyer Monjil Morshed was in the court for the writ petitioner. The writ petition was filed by environment and human rights affairs organization Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh. In the writ Secretary of Road Transport and Highways, Director General of Department of Environment, Deputy Commissioner of Khulna and Police Super of Jessore were made defendants. Meanwhile, to protect the liberation war memorial trees of Jessore road the people from all walks of life are being organized. They are protesting the government decision to cut down the trees for the road expansion work. Recently government decided to expand the Jessore-Benapole highway. As a result decision was taken to cut down two thousand 312 trees on both sides of the road. According to Jessore Road Transport and Highways division and district administration sources, there are century old 745 Rain trees and other valuable trees on both sides of the road. AH