Transport strike called off in Pabna

Transport owners and workers in Pabna have called off their indefinite strike until Monday upon the administration assurance.

The strike was suspended on Thursday evening as Pabna district and Shahjadpur upazila of Sirajganj administrations gave assurance to resolve the issues, said Pabna District Motor Malik-Sramik Oikya Parishad Convener Habibur Rahman.

An indefinite strike, called by the Oikya Parishad, began in Pabna on Thursday morning protesting against the assault on one of their fellows, causing sufferings to commuters.

The Oikya Parishad leader said a meeting was held in the Bera upazila nirbahi office around 5pm on Thursday when Pabna deputy commissioner (DC), Shahjadpur upazila nirbahi officer, leaders of various transport organizations in Pabna, and transport workers' leaders in Shahjadpur were present.

As the leaders of the transport owners' association of Shahjadpur were not present in the meeting, the deputy commissioner requested them to suspend the strike until Monday, he said.

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"Another meeting is scheduled to be held on Monday. If our issues are not resolved then, we will resume the strike from the next day," Habibur added.

Pabna DC Kabir Mahmud said: "We will resolve the problem through discussion among transport owners and workers of Pabna and Sirajganj."

The Oikya Parishad from Thursday morning enforced the strike in the district with a six-point demand that halted the movement of all kinds of public transports including truck and CNG-run autorickshaws.

Habibur said the transport owners and workers of Shahjadpur frequently assault the transport workers of Pabna over trivial matters when the buses of Pabna cross Shahjadpur Highway to reach Dhaka.

He said: "They beat up two workers of Pabna Express on December 24, but the authorities concerned did not take any action regarding the matter." 

The Oikya Parishad sought a permanent solution to the problem and gave a three-day ultimatum on December 27, but no measures were taken, Habibur added.