Staff Reporter :
The indefinite strike enforced by the Freight Transport Owners-Workers Union Council in 21 districts in the country’s South-West region was called off on Tuesday.
The business community heaved a sigh of relief following withdrawal of the indefinite strike.
The decision came from a three and half hours meeting between the transport owners and workers, and the government held at Secretariat in the city, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan told journalists. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Moshiur Rahman Ranga were also present at the meeting. In the meeting, leaders of Freight Transport Owners-Workers Union Council requested the ministers to implement their 12-point demand including an end to highway robbery, extortion and police harassment.
Union Council convener Abdul Gaffar Biswas came up with the announcement after the meeting.
As the Ministers and authorities concerned assured them of meeting their demands, they called off the strike from Tuesday afternoon, said Abdul Gaffar Biswas, convener of the Union Council said.
Union members in 21 districts, including Khulna, Greater Faridpur and Barisal enforced the indefinite strike from Monday protesting extortion, harassment and violence against their staff. “The transport owners and workers agreed to accept the government’s decisions on different issues, including the removal of additional bumpers from truck’s front side and stopping overloading,” Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan said.
He said, owners will change the truck structures as per the instructions issued by the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority. “A committee, headed by representatives of the government and the transport leaders, was formed to curb alleged irregularities while measuring weight of a vehicle in overload control centers,” the Shipping Minister added.
Due to the strike, trucks, lorries, tank-lorries, covered-vans and pickups remained off the roads in the 21 districts for the last two days, affecting activities at different land ports, including Benapole and Bhomra ones.
As transport owners and workers enforced a strike demanding the withdrawal of excel load of vehicles, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Tuesday said the government will in no way allow overloaded trucks to ply on the highways.
No overloaded truck will be allowed to ply on roads. The vehicles must run on roads maintaining the excel load of vehicles set by the government, he said.
Responding to a query about extorting money from transport workers on highways, the minister said, We’ll surely take action against the offenders if we receive any specific allegation. Due to the strike, trucks, lorries, tank-lorries, covered-vans and pickups remained off the roads in the 21 districts for the last two days, affecting commercial activities at different land ports, including Benapole and Bhomra ones.
