Transport strike cripples Sylhet

Transport workers in Sylhet started observing an indefinite strike to press home their five-point demand since Monday morning.

Commuters, especially the students and office-goers, have been suffering a great deal due to the strike that was announced a day before.

"All public transports including buses, auto-rickshaws and goods carrying vehicles has been halted from 6am Monday," Zakaria Ahmed, organising secretary of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation's Sylhet divisional committee told The Business Standard.

No long-haul public transport will be allowed to enter or leave Sylhet during the strike.

Earlier, the 72-hour strike from 5 November protesting the fuel price hike allowed microbus and auto-rickshaw movement in the district. However, this time the complete suspension of all public transportation has added to the public sufferings.

Hossain Ahmed, a banker who was waiting at the Sylhet central bus terminal for a means to travel to his workplace, demanded to put an end to the culture of strikes in the transport sector by enacting a law.

He said, "It is an unfair advantage that the transport owners take every time they have to meet a demand."

"Repetitive transport strikes are negatively impacting the tourism industry in Sylhet. Transport uncertainty caused by these strikes may end up turning tourists away from the district," said Abdul Jabbar Jalil, president of the Sylhet Travels and Tour Operators Association.   

Tahmin Ahmed, general secretary of the Sylhet Hotel Motel Rest House Owners Association, also complained about incurring loss every time a transport strike is called.

He said, "Six tourists were supposed to check into my hotel today, but they had to cancel the booking last night due to this uncalled-for strike."

On 9 November, the federation submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner of Sylhet. However, no measures were taken to address the demands, so the transport workers have opted for a strike, added Zakaria.

The five-point demands include properly holding the triennial election of Sylhet's District Auto-tempo and Auto-rickshaw Workers Federation, dissolving the committee that was "elected uncontested", returning nomination fees and withdrawal of deputy director of Sylhet Regional Labour Department, dropping cases against district bus and minibus transport workers,  stopping police "harassment" on highways, no toll on bridges whose toll collection period is up, and arranging parking for lighter vehicles like microbuses, human haulers and auto-rickshaws at different places including Chouhatta.