Transport workers in Sylhet have gone on an indefinite strike from Monday across the northeastern division to press home their five-point demand.
Commuters, particularly students and office workers, have been suffering a great deal due to the strike that was announced by the Sylhet division chapter of the Bangladesh Road Transport Workers' Federation (BRTWF) on Sunday.
All modes of public transport, including buses, CNG-run auto-rickshaws and freight trucks will stay off the roads in Sylhet from 6am onwards, the federation’s Organizing Secretary Zakaria Ahmed told UNB.
No long-distance transport will be allowed to enter or leave Sylhet during the strike, he added.
"On November 9, we submitted our five-point demand to the deputy commissioner of Sylhet. As no initiative has been taken, all modes of public transport in Sylhet division will be staying off the roads indefinitely from Monday as per our previously announced program,” said Ahmed.
The demands include holding the triennial election of Sylhet's District Tempo and Autorickshaw Workers’ Federation and dissolving the existing committee that was "elected uncontested", dropping charges against transport workers, stopping police "harassment" on highways, no toll on bridges whose toll collection period is up, and providing parking facilities for smaller passenger vehicles like microbuses, human haulers and auto-rickshaws at different locations.
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