Transport strike on Tuesday in Chittagong

Transport workers called for a 24-hour strike Saturday to be enforced in the all routes of greater Chittagong on November 29 with a nine-point demand including an end to police harassment, alleged BRTC corruption and constructing of bus terminals. The strike was called by Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation (Bangladesh Road Transport Workers’ Federation) Chittagong regional chapter. It will be enforced from 6am on November 29, said the transport workers’ leaders. “The transport strike will be enforced in all routes of greater Chittagong including Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari district to press home our nine-point demand while the transport workers will go on tougher movement if the demands are not met immediately,” said Md Musa, president of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation’s Chittagong regional committee. He made the statement at a press conference held at Chittagong Press Club’s Engineer Abdul Khaled auditorium. “Police harass transport workers and drivers with excuses such as document checking, vehicle overload, over-speeding and no-parking while the passengers of the transports were also harassed by cops frisking them on the both sides of Chittagong Shah Amanat Bridge area,” alleged Md Musa. In his speech, transport workers’ leader said police were intentionally implicating the name of transport leaders in different cases while the members of law enforcing agency’s rampant extortion and bribery have made their lives miserable. The transport leader also demanded immediate registration of around 4,000 CNG-run new auto rickshaws which were termed illegal and evicted from the roads earlier. “We also demand the cancellation of the daily target income systems by the transport owners and BRTC should prioritise the practical experience of drivers while issuing a driving license instead of the written test,” said Md Musa. 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. Hazi Abdus Sabur, chairman of movement committee of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation, Hazi Ruhul Amin, president of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation’s Chittagong Divisional Committee, transport leader Rabiul Mowla, Ali Ahmed and Humayun were present at the press meet.