Transport workers go on strike at places, protesting enforcement of law

Road transport owners and workers associations in Chattogram, Khulna and Jashore are protesting the enforcement of the Road Transport Act 2018.

Transport owners and workers suspended operation of buses in the districts as a part of their protest.

In Jashore, transport workers have demanded amendment to the law. Workers in Chattogram have demanded scrapping the law.

Anwar Hossain, general secretary of Bangladesh Jatiya Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation (East Committee) in Chattogram, told The Business Standard that a protest rally will take place at 3pm today at Alankar Circle in the port city.

"We demand that the authorities scrap the law," he added.

Khulna transport owners and workers have suspended operation of buses on all routes since the morning, Nurul Alam Baby, president of Khulna Motor Sramik Union, told The Business Standard.

"Workers have stopped plying buses and declared indefinite work abstention protesting the new Road Transport Act," he said.

In addition, transport workers have suspended bus services on 18 routes from Jashore, demanding amendment to the Road Transport Act.

Mortuza Hossain, general secretary of Bangladesh Transportation Workers Association, said the workers have been protesting the Road Transport Act since the beginning.

"They have suspended bus services on all routes since Sunday as the authorities paid no heed to their objection," he said, adding that the strike will continue until the authorities amend the new law," he also said.

Although no violence has been reported, the agitating workers in Jashore have stopped a few goods-laden trucks from plying the highways, our correspondent reported from the spot.

Protesting the new traffic law, transport workers in Rajshahi have enfoced a strike that stopped plying of all buses in the districts, reports our correspondent.

Rajshahi Paribahan Malik Samity Joint General Secretary Shafqat Manzur Biplop said the new law has created a panic amid the bus drivers.

In addition there are several other issues such as licence renewal, route permit and other authorisation for which drivers are not working, Shafqat said, adding, "We have told them to resume operations."

Bogura District Motor Sramik Union's General Secretary Shamsuddin Sheikh Helal told The Business Standard that they willl hold a meeting this week with the Sarak Paribahan Malik Sramik Oikya Parishad to discuss the new traffic law.

The overall movement has caused widespread sufferings to commuters who sought the authorities' intervention to restore bus services.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader urged transport owners and workers to refrain from calling strikes.

"I request all to follow the new transport rules and to stay away from calling transport strikes," the minister said while briefing reporters at his Secretariat office this morning.

Meanwhile, In Dhaka, the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has launched operation of mobile courts to enforce the new road transport law today.

A gazette notification was issued on Sunday after completion of the legal process on operating the mobile courts.

The Road Transport Act, which had been enacted more than a year ago, was supposed to come into effect on November 1.