Transport owners and workers in Rajshahi division called off their strike for 10 days yesterday evening hours after a similar strike had been suspended in eight Dhaka division districts until tomorrow.
The association of Dhaka divisional northern bus-truck owners and workers called off their strike that started at 6am in Gazipur, Dhaka (north), Mymensingh, Netrakona, Kishoreganj, Jamalpur, Sherpur and Tangail to press home their seven-point demand.
The demands include removal of the Netrakona deputy commissioner, withdrawal of illegal vehicles from roads, ending police extortion on vehicles and execution of a deal with the government.
Communication Minister Obaidul Quader, State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan and top police officials sat in a meeting with the leaders of the association and assured the transport owners and workers that their demands would be met.
In view of the assurances, the strike had been put on hold until tomorrow, Mamtazuddin, president of Mymensingh District Motors Owners Association, told reporters yesterday.
On Sunday, transport owners and workers in Rajshahi division called a strike in all eight districts of the division, demanding fulfilment of their six-point demand, which is similar to the seven-point demand of the association in Dhaka.
Our correspondent in Rajshahi reported that the transport leaders and workers held a meeting around 7pm yesterday about calling off or suspending the strike.
“We sat in a meeting upon a request from the central leaders,” Manzur Rahman Peter, convenor of the Rajshahi association, told the Dhaka Tribune. “The meeting decided to suspend the strike for 10 days.”
Meanwhile, people in these districts suffered terribly because of the strike. Businesses came to a halt at many places as no freight-carrying trucks operated for a long time.
Our Gazipur correspondent reports: Sufferings of long-route commuters mounted as long-distant buses did not operate through the district.
A passenger named Bokul Begum said she had waited for a bus for around an hour from 11am to go her Gazipur home but had not got any.
Gazipur Traffic Sergeant Md Kamrul Islam said passengers were going to their distant destinations through the local bus services.
The picture of passengers’ sufferings was worse in Sirajganj than anywhere in the eight districts, with people getting stuck on both sides of the Bangabandhu bridge, reports our correspondent in the district.
A large number of people were seen waiting for train at the Sadanandapur Railways Station.
The inter-city Silk City Express bound for Dhaka from Rajshahi arrived at the station around 12 at noon although it was scheduled for around 10am.
Passengers were seen scrambling into the train, which had already been packed with passengers. Many passengers struggled for room on the engine of the train, failing to get into the train.
There were allegations of extortion by the police.
When the superintendent of police was informed about it, an extortionist was arrested.
A clash between bus and truck workers took place over realising extortion, leaving at least five people injured.
Our Bogra correspondent reports: Earlier in the day, transport leaders and workers vowed to continue their strike until their six-point demand, including their deal with the government, was fulfilled.
Vice President Abdul Mannan of Rajshahi Regional Committee of Bangladesh Sarak Sramik Federation said they had sat in a meeting with the administration on Monday but there had been no results.