Transport workers in Rajshahi called for an indefinite transport strike from Thursday in Rajshahi district demanding the removal of the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Boalia and Shah Makhdum police stations.
The strike is called under the banner of Rajshahi District Motor Malik-Shromik Oikya Parishad on Wednesday.
The platform enforced the strike claiming the OCs of these police stations in Rajshahi city were involved in extortion also had been harassing them.
Mahtab Ali, general secretary of Motor Workers’ Union told the Dhaka Tribune the strike would come into effect from 6am on Thursday and would continue until the OCs were removed.
Earlier on Monday, transport workers' leaders issued a 72-hour ultimatum to withdraw Alamgir Hossain and Mizanur Rahman, OCs of Boalia and Shah Makhdum police stations respectively.
“Since we got no response from Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) in this regard, we have decided to go on a strike,” Mahtab said.
According to the transport leaders, police had been harassing the transport workers by arresting them and demanding extortion despite their effort to operate vehicles amid the countrywide hartal and blockade.
“Alamgir and Mizanur of Boalia and Shah Makhdum police stations are mostly involved in such malpractices,” Mahtab continued.
“On March 1, pro-hartal activists set two buses of Hanif Paribahan on fire. Police filed a case in this regard but did not mention any specific name or the bus number which is a prerequisite to get compensation from the government.”
“When we asked for naming the buses and their numbers, OC Alamgir demanded Tk2 lakh from us also refused to file our complaint but they file cases against other people.”
Mahtab further alleged that the police had also been harassing local journalists because of writing about their misdeeds.
Mainul Haque, another leader of transport workers, said Shah Makhdum police detained two transport workers, Abdur Rahim and Mainul Islam, on Monday.
“When we went to free them, OC Mizanur demanded a huge amount of money,” he alleged.
