Question of millions - when will there be a permanent bus stand in Munshiganj Sadar?

The question of millions of people - when will there be a permanent bus stand in Munshiganj Sadar? Even after 55 years of independence, a modern and permanent bus stand has not yet been built in Munshiganj Sadar Upazila. As this long-standing expectation of the people of the district city has not been realized, millions of passengers are suffering every day. Despite being one of the closest districts to the capital Dhaka, passengers have to board buses from temporary places due to the lack of a planned bus terminal. This is wasting time, as well as increasing travel costs and suffering.

According to locals, although modern bus terminals have been built in various districts of the country, Munshiganj Sadar is still lagging behind in this regard. Although the Hatlakshiganj area of the district city has been known as a bus stand for a long time, there is no passenger shelter, ticket counter, toilet, parking or specific arrangement for parking buses. As a result, the area has practically become an unplanned place for vehicle movement. It is a bus stand in name only. Although there have been discussions on building a bus stand on government land adjacent to the Palli Bidyut Samity on its northern side, no effective initiative has been taken in this regard.

It is known that about five lakh people of Sadar Upazila regularly travel to the capital Dhaka for education, medical treatment, business, employment and various administrative work. But since there is no permanent system for buses to leave directly from the district town, most of the passengers have to go to the Muktarpur Bridge area to catch a bus. Many others go by water to Sadarghat or Narayanganj and reach their destination by road from there.

Some students who travel to Dhaka every day said that they have to rush to catch a bus even after leaving early in the morning. Sometimes they have to change to a rickshaw or an auto-rickshaw to go to Muktarpur. This increases both time and fare.

Student Saidur Rahman Ifti said, the cost of education is increasing due to paying additional fare every day. If there was a permanent bus stand in the district town, we would have saved both time and money.”

Private sector employee Md. Jahirul Islam said, “The distance from Munshiganj to Dhaka is only 22 kilometers. However, due to the lack of a bus stand, an additional 150 to 300 taka is spent every day. This is a big financial burden for regular commuters. We want a permanent bus stand in the district town.”

Several businessmen have also reported similar suffering. According to them, the lack of passenger and goods transportation facilities is also negatively affecting business and trade. If a modern bus stand is built in the district town, business activities will expand further and transportation costs will be reduced.

Sources said that in the past, proposals to build a permanent bus stand were raised several times in various district development coordination meetings. The concerned departments also discussed possible locations. There was also a plan to build a bus stand next to the Palli Bidyut Samity in the Hatlakshiganj area of the city. But it was not implemented due to administrative complications, land acquisition problems and lack of project approval. As a result, the matter has remained limited to paper and pen for years.

Hamida Khatun, vice-president of the District Mahila Parishad, said, “Munshiganj is a traditional district of Bangladesh, whose former name was Bikrampur. Many national leaders including the President, Ministers, and Members of Parliament have been elected from this district. But the development has not been as expected. The failure to build a planned bus stand in the district town is a major failure of the development plan.”

According to conscious citizens, the construction of a modern bus stand will not only reduce the suffering of passengers; at the same time, traffic congestion will be controlled, discipline in the transport system will be maintained, trade and commerce will expand and the beauty of the district town will increase. In addition, long-distance bus travel will be easier and there will be a positive impact on tourism and investment.

Local passengers complain that in the current situation, sick patients, women, children, elderly people and disabled passengers are suffering the most. They have to wait for the bus in the Muktarpur Bridge area in the rain or in the scorching sun. The suffering increases further as there is no safe passenger shelter or permanent bus stand there.

Dighirpar Paribahan Managing Director Md. Nur Hossain said, “Since 1990, we have been trying for a permanent bus terminal in Munshiganj town. We have proposed this to the District Commissioner’s office several times. There was also talk of building a bus stand in the old bus stand of the city and in the Katakhali area. But no progress has been made. If the concerned authorities want, it is possible to open a temporary bus stand in the Court or Lichutola area for the time being. This will provide some convenience to Dhaka-bound passengers. However, our main demand is that a permanent bus stand should be built quickly.”

The demands of local conscious citizens should not be limited to political promises or discussions in development meetings, but should now be implemented. If the permanent bus stand construction project is quickly taken up in coordination with the concerned government ministries, local government departments and the district administration, the many years of suffering of millions of people in the district will end.

Munshiganj District Citizens Committee Convener Md. Arif ul Islam said, “Initiatives were taken several times in the past to build a district bus stand. But due to the indifference of public representatives and the administration, it did not see the light of day. Currently, while taking development plans, there is no coordination with local citizen representatives. As a result, realistic plans are not made and in the end, the people of the district are deprived.”

In this regard, Deputy Commissioner Syeda Nurmahal Ashrafi said, “No activities are being taken for the construction of a permanent bus stand for the time being. Currently, road renovation and development work is underway. Review the situation after these tasks are completed.