Transport workers of Rangpur division on 72-hour strike
Passengers coming to the central bus terminal in Rangpur town get frustrated as Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation started a 72-hour strike in eight northern districts yesterday morning.Photo: STAR
Road communications between Rangpur division and other parts of the country remained suspended from yesterday morning as Transport Workers Federation went on a 72-hour strike to press home its 10-point demand. Rangpur divisional unit of the federation enforced the strike in 8 districts, causing immense sufferings to commuters. All motorised vehicles, including bus and truck, remained off all the 72 routes from the division from 6am yesterday. Passengers went to different bus terminals to go to their destinations but failed to avail any bus anywhere. Akter Hossain Badal, President of Rangpur divisional unit of Transport Workers Federation, told this correspondent that they were compelled to call the strike as the administration did not meet their demands within the stipulated time. He said, earlier Rangpur divisional unit of Motor Sramik Federation called the strike on May 29 to press home its 10-point demand, including a ban on human-haulers like Nasimon, Karimon and Bhutbhuti and battery-run auto-rickshaw on highways. The demands of the federation also included withdrawal of 'false' cases filed against Rangpur District Transport Workers Union General Secretary MA Majid and removal of illegal markets from the highways. It also demanded a hike in wages of transport workers and providing appointment letters and an end to various irregularities, including illegal toll collection by highway police. He said that the federation gave an ultimatum to meet the demands by May 4. "But the administration unfortunately failed to meet our demands within the deadline," he said. The local administration held two inconclusive meetings with the leaders of the transport workers on Sunday and Monday which followed yesterday's indefinite strike.
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