The transport owners have withdrawn the 72-hour transport strike, which was announced to start from Tuesday, to press for eight demands.
The decision was made on Sunday, during a meeting between the transport owners and Road Transport Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan at the Bijoy Hall of the Power Development Board headquarters in Dhaka.
Earlier, on July 27, the Bangladesh Transport Owners-Workers Coordination Council announced the suspension of all types of commercial transport for 72 hours to press for eight demands.
Their demands are: amendment of Sections 98 and 105 of the Road Transport Act, 2018, along with the recommended sections; extension of the economic life of commercial motor vehicles from 20 and 25 years to 30 years; suspension of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority drives against vehicles older than 20 and 25 years until the problem is resolved; reduction of the doubled presumptive income tax imposed in the budget to the previous rate; extension of the import period of reconditioned commercial vehicles from 5 to 12 years; provision to release accident-hit vehicles from police stations within 72 hours to the owner’s custody; formulation of a scrap policy for expired vehicles; establishment of separate lanes on highways for three-wheelers and unapproved light vehicles by the BRTA; quick supply and renewal of driving licences; and implementation of the 12-point demand of the workers’ federation.