Thousands of commuters, especially who live in Rajshahi, suffered a lot yesterday because of a transport strike enforced by the Rajshahi Motor Workers’ Union.
The transport workers, however, withdrew the strike in the afternoon after the district administration released four transport workers, who were sentence to one-year imprisonment, for carrying sand illegally lifted from the Padma River.
Kamal Hossain Robi, president of Rajshahi Motor Workers’ Union, told the Dhaka Tribune that the administration had freed the detained workers at about 4pm and later the transport workers withdrew the strike.
Transport workers went on a strike for an indefinite period yesterday morning, protesting the imprisonment.
Local sources said over 100 transport workers brought out a procession from Rajshahi bus terminal, demanding release of their fellow workers.
During the demonstration, they also demanded ban on the movement of risky vehicles like CNG-run auto rickshaw and battery-run auto-rickshaw on highways.
During the strike, no vehicles left terminals or entered into the city, causing immense sufferings for the commuters.
Students of different educational institutions were the worst sufferers of the strike.
A commuter, who was standing at Rajshahi Bus Terminal for a bus, said it was an urgent for him to go to Naogaon for family affairs, but he could not do so because of non-availability of transport.
Kanij Fatema, 20, a student of Rajshahi University, who was waiting for a bus for two hours in Rail Gate area, finally started walking toward railway station to catch a train.
She said nowadays transport workers called strike over trivial issues for their own interest and it should be stopped.
Deputy Commissioner, Rajshahi Mezbah Uddin Ahmed said considering suffering of commuters the district administration had decided to free the convicted workers.
A mobile court sent four truck drivers to jail on March 11 after awarding them one year’s imprisonment and fining them Tk30,000 each in Poba upazila of Rajshahi for carrying the sand.
After the verdict, transport workers of Rajshahi handed over a memorandum to deputy commissioner’s office, demanding release of the workers.
Later, they met the deputy commissioner on Wednesday and sought his intervention in the matter.
After not getting any positive result, the transport workers called the strike on Wednesday.