By Staff Correspondent :
Bus passengers travelling to and from 21 districts in south-western Bangladesh are facing severe hardship following a government decision to shut down inter-district bus counters at Gulistan’s Fulbaria Bus Terminal.
Previously, commuters travelling to the 21 south-western districts relied on the Fulbaria terminal in Gulistan for their journeys. Citing the need to ease Dhaka’s chronic traffic congestion, the government had earlier decided to relocate the Sayedabad, Mahakhali, Gabtoli, and Gulistan bus terminals out of the capital. However, since such relocation is a time-consuming process, the Gabtoli, Sayedabad, and Mahakhali terminals continue to operate from their original locations.
The Fulbaria terminal has been treated differently. Located centrally in the capital, the BRTC inter-district terminal at Fulbaria had long served as a convenient departure point for thousands of passengers heading to the south-western districts daily. But at a recent meeting on easing traffic congestion in Dhaka, authorities decided that privately-owned inter-district buses operating from Fulbaria should instead depart from the Sayedabad terminal.
According to complaints from bus owners, counters serving the south-western routes at Gulistan were shut down abruptly, without any alternative arrangement or transition period. As a result, passengers who used to travel daily to the 21 districts from the Fulbaria terminal have been left in serious distress — even though numerous non-inter-district buses continue to operate from the same terminal, undermining the very traffic-decongestion goal the move was meant to serve.
Several passengers told this reporter that the sudden decision, made without providing alternatives for those travelling to Gulistan, has caused significant suffering. They said the situation could have been eased had the government allowed bus owners sufficient time to make alternative arrangements. Many noted that the Fulbaria terminal, being an old and well-established hub located near two metro rail stations, had allowed for easy, hassle-free travel — an advantage now lost with the counters closed. Many passengers are now forced to walk or take rickshaws considerable distances from Gulistan to reach buses elsewhere, worsening public suffering.
Bus owners interviewed said they do not oppose the government’s broader decision but believe passengers’ interests should have been considered and adequate time given. They argued that since key terminals within the capital — Sayedabad, Mahakhali, and Gabtoli — have not yet been relocated, the same approach should logically apply to Gulistan.
Several owners also highlighted the plight of bus workers, saying many associated with the Fulbaria terminal are now jobless, with some families struggling to make ends meet. Workers linked to the shuttered bus counters have similarly lost their livelihoods, they said, urging the government to take their situation into account.
Bus owners further noted that the suspension of inter-district services from Gulistan is costing the government substantial revenue. Many said they had taken out bank loans to purchase vehicles and are now facing serious financial losses, with a large share of their fleet sitting idle due to reduced trips. They have appealed to the government to reconsider and allow inter-district buses to resume operations from the Gulistan terminal, in the interest of protecting the transport sector.
