The Rajshahi Division Transport Owners Association has announced a transport strike beginning on Thursday ahead of the BNP divisional rally on Saturday in the division.
All districts in the Rajshahi division will have an indefinite ban on bus and truck movement beginning from 6am on Thursday.
Rajshahi Road Transport Group General Secretary Motiul Haque Tito said that the decision was taken at the joint meeting of the departmental owner-labour union council held in Natore last Saturday. If their demands are not met by November 30, the strike will cover Rajshahi, Natore, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, Sirajganj, Pabna and Bogra districts.
He also said: “No decision has been taken regarding the BNP rally here. We have been discussing our demands with the administration for a long time. But they did not respond. With this, the transport strike from Rajshahi will start from 6am on December 1.”
The 10-point demand included amendment of the Road Traffic Act-2018, ban on three-wheelers on highways or regional highways, and reducing of increasing cost of fuel and spare parts.
BNP leaders ready to defy strike
Leaders of the BNP assert that the government is attempting to organize a strike through the Transport Owners Association in order to deter people from attending the march. The Transport Owners Association claims that this is a component of their ongoing effort, nevertheless.
Abdul Quader Mollah, vice president of Umarpur Union BNP of Sirajganj district said: “On Tuesday, I took an auto-rickshaw to Rajshahi. There is nowhere to stay, and security is a problem. I had to go to the BNP headquarters to stay for this reason.”
Upazila BNP Vice President Arif Sarkar said that he has been in Rajshahi for two days. By Wednesday, all the other activists who are currently far away will arrive.
BNP activist Matiar Rahman said: “We have arranged our food ourselves. I have brought molasses. Without the fall of this government, peace will not come to the people of the country.”
Rajshahi divisional BNP Organizing Secretary Ruhul Quddus Talukder alias Dulu said that people cannot be detained in any way.
“Due to the transport strike, the leaders and activists started arriving from Wednesday. They are showing a lot of patience,” he added.
Meanwhile, on the occasion of BNP's divisional mass meeting in Rajshahi on Saturday, the party's central leaders claimed that the party's leaders and activists are being harassed by police in various districts by arresting and prosecuting them.
Party's central leaders said that they held a press conference on Wednesday at noon.
In the press conference, Ruhul Quddus Talukdar Dulu, organizing secretary and coordinator of the mass meeting committee of BNP, said that at least 50 leaders and activists were arrested last night in connection with the Rajshahi divisional rally. Besides, hundreds of new cases have been filed.
He also said: “The transport strike has been called from Thursday so that activists cannot come to the rally. However, this rally will be successful at any cost.”