Bangla Press Desk: CNG-run autorickshaw drivers have blocked the Jamalpur-Tangail Highway for four hours, protesting a severe gas shortage in the district.
The blockade ran from 7 am to 11 am on Thursday before drivers withdrew it following assurances from the administration, said Jamalpur Sadar Upazila administrator (UNO) Naznin Aktar.
She added that traffic on the highway had since returned to normal, reports bdnews24.com.
The blockade brought all traffic on the highway to a halt, triggering a tailback stretching several kilometres.
Commuters and office-goers bore the brunt of the disruption, with long queues of long-haul buses, trucks and smaller vehicles lining both sides of the road.
As the wait dragged on with no sign of the jam clearing, many passengers were seen abandoning their vehicles and setting off on foot, while others scrambled for alternative transport.
The drivers called off the blockade only after UNO Naznin visited the spot and assured them their grievances would be addressed.
The protesting drivers said they had been queuing for hours on end at Jamalpur's only CNG filling station for days, without getting the gas they needed.
They also cited “mismanagement” by the pump's owner and staff.
Their complaint was that pump staff and the owner routinely breach the queue, waving other vehicles ahead under the guise of giving them "VIP" treatment.
With their vehicles running short of gas, the drivers said their daily earnings had taken a hit, making it increasingly difficult to run their households.
They warned of continuing their agitation unless gas supplies were normalised without delay.
"We pay for our gas, yet they still treat us badly. With just the one pump in town, they get away with treating drivers however they like," said a driver, Akhtar Hossain.
He said the pump's management needed an overhaul, and called it urgent for the district to get a second CNG filling station.
Asked about the drivers' demands, the UNO said she had discussed their grievances with them and that the administration would work to resolve the issues raised.
