Transport strike hits Bandarban

Locals and tourists have been severely affected by the strike as no passenger bus left the district since yesterday morning. Transport owners said they were supporting a call for strike by Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation’s Chittagong chapter. Purbani Owner’s Association General Secretray Shubroto Das Jhontu said they were observing the strike in Bandarban as per instructions given by the Chittagong workers’ federation. Locals said intra-district traffic was uninterrupted. Bus-Jeep Owners Association General Secretary Nurul Alam said they were operating on the local route in the district. Transport strike in Chittagong postponed till Dec 4 Transport workers have postponed their strike till December 4 in all the routes of greater Chittagong. The decision came after the strikers held a meeting with Masud-ul-Hasan, additional commissioner (Traffic) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police on Tuesday noon. Confirming the postponement, Ruhul Amin, president of Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation’s Chittagong divisional committee, told the Dhaka Tribune that they decided to postpone their strike upon the assurance of a high official of the CMP. Chittagong regional chapter of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation (Bangladesh Road Transport Workers’ Federation) enforced the strike for 24 hours in Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati, Khagrachari and Bandarban districts to push for their nine-point demand including putting an end to alleged police harassment and constructing bus terminals. The other demands are setting up terminals for bus, trucks and prime movers, fixing parking spots for auto-rickshaws, providing appointment letters to all transport workers and ensuring the money of welfare trust to the workers, cutting the higher ferry tolls, setting Tk600 as the daily target and cancelling the target system of bus and human haulers in the city while submitting the charge sheet of transport leader Nurul Islam abduction case immediately. “A meeting has been scheduled to be held on December 4 to discuss the demands. Chittagong City Corporation mayor, Chittagong Metropolitan Police commissioner and Chittagong Development Authority chairman will attend the meeting,” added the leader of the strikers. While visiting different intersections of the city, it was seen that motorised vehicles including CNG-run auto-rickshaws, public buses, trucks, human haulers stayed off the roads. Rickshaws and private cars were seen to dominate the city streets. Finding no other way, people were forced to walk to their respective destinations. Patients heading for hospitals and clinics, students, office-goers and apparel workers faced immense suffering due to the strike. The commuters alleged that the rickshaw pullers were charging exorbitant fare from them taking advantage of the strike.