Several thousand people stood on the way and put up a barricade when some officials of BRTC tried to send the buses back to the capital from the temporary depot at Jaintapur upazila headquarters on Wednesday morning.

The agitated people also threatened to enforce an indefinite strike in the region if any further step was taken to withdraw the service.

In an official order issued on December 18, Director (Administration & Operation) of BRTC Azhar Ali Talukder gave an instruction to withdraw four double-deckers and four buses from the temporary depot and send those to the capital immediately.

Protesting the move, people of three upazilas held a rally at Battala with former Upazila Chairman Sirajuddin Ahmed, Convenor of the 17 Parganas Salish Samannaya Committee, in the chair.

Chairmen of union parishads and leaders of political parties spoke at the rally conducted by Upazila BNP Secretary Abdul Maik Manik.

The speakers said the BRTC service was introduced in the region in September and the number of buses was later raised at the instruction of the finance minister.

But an influential group being pressed by the transport owners and workers started conspiracy to stop the BRTC service, they said, adding that any such move would be resisted at any cost.

They also threatened to enforce an indefinite strike if the buses are withdrawn. Supply of tea, stone, sand, coal and minerals from this region would also be cut off, they announced.

On the other hand, the transport owners and workers associations in the city have long been demanding immediate withdrawal of the BRTC service in theh three upazilas.

They also threatened to launch a strike in Sylhet and Chittagong divisions on January 5 to press their 20-point demand, including the closure of BRTC service.

The people of three upazilas continued to boycott private buses and minibuses the Sylhet-Jaintapur, Sylhet-Kanaighat and Sylhet-Gowainghat roads protesting the activities of the transport operators and workers who once forced the BRTC to suspend its BRTC service on Sylhet-Tamabil Highway.

The Brihattar Jainta Samannaya Samity, a forum of the people of 17 parganas of three upazilas, also expressed solidarity with the people's demand.

The BRTC service on four routes from Sylhet Railway Station was first introduced on September 10. But the district administration stopped the service on Sylhet-Tamabil-Jafflong Route within next seven days in the face of pressure from transport owners and workers association.

Since then, the people of three upazilas have been agitating against the transport owners and workers.

However, the service resumed on November 17 at the intervention of the finance minister.