The bus-truck owners and workers in the Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions began an indefinite transport strike yesterday morning, demanding an end to extortions and asking that unauthorised vehicles be banned on highways.
Commuters in 16 districts of the region suffered throughout the day as they could not find any buses operating on the road.
Kamal Hossain Robi, president of the Rajshahi Bus Workers Association, said they had been pressing their six-point demands for a long time.
“We were forced into this strike as the administration was not paying heed to our demands,” Robi said, adding that their strike will continue until the demands are met.
The demands include an end to police harassment, and bans against the running of three-wheelers, tractors and auto-rickshaws on highways.
Robi added that they had initially called the transport strike for eight districts in Rajshahi and another body of transport workers-owners in Rangpur later joined them.
Meanwhile, Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner Mezbah Uddin Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune over the phone that he will call a meeting with bus owners and workers as soon as possible to ease the sufferings of commuters.
