The existing anarchic situation in public transport sector has deteriorated to such an extent that after extorting whatever amount they wish as fare, transport workers are now sexually harassing their passengers. Recently one allegation after another of sexual harassment in public transports in the capital has been raised by a number of female commuters. Women victims were voicing their complaints and grievances to their near and dear ones. They are venting their anger and sufferings on social media.
One reason why such incidents were occurring was the tendency among some workers to take drugs, said transport owners. That’s why they behaved arrogantly with the passengers.
Activists related to Jatri Odhikar Andolon (or passenger rights movement) blamed transport workers for the anarchic situation.
They said the existing anarchic situation in transport sector is deteriorating day by day as the transport workers are not brought to dock whatever their crime is. Autocratic attitude of the public transport owners and workers has now become the biggest challenge to bring back discipline in the sector.
On April 23, a female student got up on a Turag Paribahan bus at 1:00 am from Link Road bus stoppage at Badda in the capital.
After crossing two stoppages, at Natun Bazar bus stand, all the passengers of the bus got down except the student. But the helper did not pick up any new passenger. Instead, the supervisor of the bus instructed the driver to go to 300 feet area. The student then wanted to get down but the bus helper stopped her. At Basundhara Residential gate, the student somehow jumped out of the bus, putting her life to great risk.
In another incident, on May 15, a Tejgaon College student was harassed at Gulshan-1 intersection while going to college from Badda in Dhaka.
Similar incidents have been frequently reported in the country’s national dailies during last few months.
According to findings of a BRAC research, about 94 percent female commuters face sexual harassment in public transport.
On the other hand, an Action Aid reported that around 13 percent female passengers have stopped using public transport to avoid such harassments.
Its Country Director Farah Kabir told Bangla Tribune that the tendency would be checked effectively if the perpetrators of such heinous crimes are tried accordingly. “In most cases, the culprit gets indemnity somehow or other.”
Passenger Rights Movement spokesperson Mahmudul Hasan Shakuri said, “Whatever grave crime a transport worker commits, he is not tried. There are laws, but there is no implementation.”
“Moreover, the existing law too should be amended, keeping provisions of death penalty, and Tk 20 million fine for road accidents,” the rights activist added.
In reply to a query about the source of backing of the transport owners, Bangladesh Transport Owners Association Secretary General Khandaker Enayet Ullah told Bangla Tribune: “There is a continuous scarcity of expert drivers and owners in the market. If the owner tries to become strict, they just leave their job. That’s why the owners aren’t interested in taking steps against the workers. And this inactivity paves the way to anarchy orchestrated by the transport workers.”
“The transport workers aren’t powerful. Around 50 percent of them are drug abusers” he added.