<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Commuters were hit hard after all modes of transportation went off the streets in Barisal on Friday, just a day before a divisional rally called by opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">Barisal city has virtually been cut off from rest of the country after the two-day transport strike got underway on Friday. Buses, launches, speedboats, microbuses and even the three-wheeler auto-rickshaws are unavailable.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While the bus owners called the strike to demand a ban on the movement of auto-rickshaws on the highways, the three-wheelers want the authorities to allow them free movement there.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A transport strike before BNP's anti-government divisional rallies has recently been common. Such strikes were called ahead of opposition party's rallies in Khulna, Mymensingh and Rangpur.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">BNP's Barisal divisional rally has been called to protest against hike in fuel and essential commodities and to press home the party's other demands including restoration of the constitutional provision of holding general election under a neutral caretaker government.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The government has denied any link with the transport strikes coinciding BNP's rallies.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">From Friday 12am, microbus movement from and to the district had also been shut till November 5 for indefinite reasons, confirmed Md Farid, a member of district microbus owners' association.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Speedboat movement was halted on Wednesday evening while launch on Thursday morning amid BNP's allegation that launch owners went on the sudden strike as per the government's directive ahead of the rally slated for November 5.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Even the rental private cars refused to move on the road, according to passengers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Many people were seen waiting at the launch terminals and bus terminal without being able to reach their destination.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile, BNP leaders and activists started gathering at Barisal city's Bangabandhu Park to attend the party's divisional rally from Thursday morning, to defy all the transport bans.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Barisal's central bus terminal in Nathullabad, was overcrowded on Saturday night as hundreds of commuters arrived to leave for their destinations one day in advance, fearing the transport strike, which is set to begin from Friday morning.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“I had a plan to go to Dhaka on Friday, but I came here a day early keeping Friday's transport strike in mind,” said Subarna Pal, a commuter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“I've come here two days earlier due to the transport strike. Finding no other place, I'm staying at my relative's house,” said Sadikur Rahman, a Jubo Dal activist from Patuakhali.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The rally in Barisal will be the 5th one by the BNP at the divisional level as four others were held in Chittagong, Mymensingh, Khulna, and Rangpur. UNB</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>