The Rajshahi Bus Truck Malik Shromik Oikya Parishad held a protest rally at the city’s bus terminal yesterday to bring attention to their six-point demand.
Due to the strike, no vehicle left Rajshahi causing immense sufferings to the commuters. The rally was held at the Shaheed AHM Kamruzzaman Bus Terminal around 4pm.
The bus owners and transport workers called the strike despite knowing that their decision would cause suffering to people, said a commuter.
Suvomita Choudhury, a master’s student of Rajshahi University, who was also waiting for a bus for two hours in rail gate area, finally started walking towards the railway station to catch a train.
She told the Dhaka Tribune that the transport workers in Bangladesh call strike now and then for their own interest without considering the plight of the commuters. Sources say the association’s primary demand is stopping of extortion by highway police. Their other demands include stopping the movement of three-wheelers (popularly known as nasimon, karimon), cancellation of road permits for CNG-run auto rickshaws, reduction of renewal fees for vehicles, and to discontinue the BRTC bus services at upazila levels.
Rajshahi Road Transport Group President Enamul Haque, General Secretary Munjur Rahman Pitar, among others, spoke at the rally.
Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner Mezbah Uddin Ahmed, however, said he would convene a meeting immediately with the bus owners, workers, and the officials concerned as soon as possible to resolve the issue.
