Rajshahi District Motor Sramik Union went on an indefinite strike yesterday after a clash occurred between bus and CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers in the city.
The strike will spread to other districts in the division from today, said Kamal Hossain Rabi, president of the union, after emerging from an emergency meeting.
The meeting was called because of the clash at Naudapara in the city around midday, in which at least five people from the union were injured.
He said there was a government embargo on the plying of Bhubhuti, a locally assembled vehicle, and CNG-run auto-rickshaws across the country.
However, local MPs Ayeen Uddin and Fazle Hossain sided with the plying of such vehicles in the district and so the administration could do nothing against such vehicles operating here.
Kamal Hossain Rabi said they would continue their strike until operation of such vehicles was stopped.
MP Fazle Hossain said: “CNG-run auto-rickshaw is approved to run in the country, but motor workers will not allow it to operate in the district. We cannot let them do it when such vehicles ply in other 63 districts in the country.”
Rajshahi District Bus-Truck Malik Sramik Oikya Parishad had gone on such a strike from May 25 to May 27 and again in July, demanding that the
locally assembled vehicles like Bhutbhuti, Nasiman and Kariman be barred from running on the highways in the division.
