It is the local Awami League leaders and their allies who are actually enforcing the transport strikes in divisional cities right before the BNP rallies, while ministers keep insisting that transport associations are independent.

Almost all top leaders of local transport associations that have called the strikes are either affiliated with the ruling party or are loyal to local AL leaders.

Moreover, central bodies of the transport owners and workers are led by ruling party leaders or their loyalists.

Just like in Khulna, Mymensingh, and Barishal, transport owners in Rangpur yesterday called a 36-hour strike from today, a day before the BNP rally.

Rangpur Motor Malik Samity called the strike from 6:00am today to 6:00pm tomorrow"demanding three-wheelers be removed from highways".

Mozammel Haq, president of the samity, is an adviser of AL's Rangpur City unit while Mashiur Rahman Ranga, general secretary of the body, is a Jatiya Party lawmaker from Rangpur.

Asked why they called the strike just ahead of the BNP rally, Mozammel did not respond.

Ranga, a former state minister of the previous AL-led grand alliance government, is also the president of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners' Association, the umbrella body of transport owners' associations.

Khondaker Enayet Ullah, secretary general of the umbrella body, is a vice president of Dhaka South City Awami League.

Yesterday, there were fewer buses heading towards Rangpur. By afternoon, the number shrank to half the usual.

AL, ALLIANCE CONNECTIONS

On October 18, two transport owners and workers platforms -- Khulna District Bus, Minibus, Coach and Microbus Owners' Association and Khulna Motor Sramik Union -- jointly called a strike from October 20 "demanding three-wheelers be taken off the roads".

The BNP rally there was held on October 22.

Mizanur Rahman, president of the association, is a former AL lawmaker from Khulna-2 and is currently a member of AL Khulna city unit's executive committee.

Its general secretary, Anisur Rahman Paplu, is a former convener of Khulna City Jubo League.

The president and secretary of the Motor Sramik Union are involved with Sramik League.

On Wednesday, Barishal District Bus Malik Group called a strike on all routes to Barishal for November 4 and 5. A BNP rally is supposed to be held there on November 5.

Rois Ahmed Manna, joint secretary of the association, is the president of Barishal City Chhatra League.

The president and general secretary of the association are loyal to Barishal City Corporation Mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, party insiders said.

Sadiq is the general secretary of Barishal city AL.

Mymensingh District Motor Owners Association enforced its strike a day before the BNP rally there on October 15.

Momtaz Uddin, president of the association, is also the vice president of AL Mymensingh district unit.

Its secretary general Mahbubur Rahman is former vice president of Swechchhasebak League's Mymensingh district unit.

On top of all these, former minister Shajahan Khan, also a presidium member of AL, is the president of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation, the umbrella organisation of transport workers.

'INDEPENDENT BODIES'

When a reporter on October 23 at press conference raised the issue of transport strikes ahead of BNP rallies, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said he has nothing to do if bus operators call strikes and cause public sufferings.

Quader, also the general secretary of the AL, asked the reporter to talk to the bus owners instead.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and Information Minister Hasan Mahmud yesterday also said transport owners and workers organisations were "independent", and they have nothing to do in this matter.

"If they [transport owners] think it is not safe, they may not operate their vehicles," Asaduzzaman said.

"Owners and workers have seen how their buses were torched during the movement by BNP-Jamaat in the past ... We are not forcing them [transport leaders]. They are independent. They will decide what they will do. We do not interfere."

The government is not barring the BNP from holding any political rallies anywhere, the home minister added.

The information minister said, "As BNP men burnt buses, trucks, and launches in the past, bus owners and workers called a strike in Khulna. If they call a strike in Barishal, it is for the same reason."

Terming the organisations independent, he said leaders of the BNP, the AL, and Jatiya party are involved with these organisations and they together decide on strikes to protect their vehicles.

Yesterday, Ahsan Habib, organising secretary of the BNP for Rangpur division, said that it was clear that AL would enforce a transport strike in an attempt to foil their rally as the government was panicking after seeing the public support BNP was getting.

He said strikes would not be effective and people would join the rally on foot if they have to.

On September 27, BNP announced division-level rallies to protest the price hike of essentials and fuel, recent killings of five party men in police firings in different districts, and also demanding "release" of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

The party so far held three rallies in Chattogram, Mymensingh, and Khulna and its leaders alleged that the government and ruling party men attempted to obstruct their party men from joining the rallies by enforcing transport strikes.

(Our correspondents in Dinajpur, Khulna, Barishal, and Mymensingh contributed to this report.)