As yet another 72-hour opposition blockade starts Saturday, the
Dhaka-Kolkata bus service has been cancelled for reasons of safety.
Since 1999, two bus services ‘Souhardyo’ and ‘Shyamoli’ have operated
between Dhaka and Kolkata, carrying thousands of passengers who cannot
afford expensive air travel.
The government transport corporations in Bangladesh and West Bengal have
permitted a consortium of private transport operators to run the
services.
Last Tuesday, blockade campaigner’s hurled stones at a Dhaka-Kolkata bus
near Jessore, damaging the vehicle and injuring a passenger.
‘So now we are not going to run the bus during the current blockade that
starts on Saturday, said Abani Kumar Ghosh, one of the managers of the
consortium that runs the Dhaka-Kolkata buses. (source)