By chanting 'Joy Bangla' slogan hundreds of autorickshaw drivers start their wildcat strike demanding hike of passenger fare on Sunday morning, and at noon, Mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation AHM Khairuzzaman Liton assured the striking autorickshaw drivers that he would declare the rate of increased fare by February-15.
Soon after the declaration, the autorickshaw drivers start plying of their vehicles through the city streets, again chanting the ' Joy Bangla' slogan.
It is learnt, from the morning the autorickshaw drivers with their vehicles thronged in front of the Nagar Bhaban showing agitation there. They were demanding a hike of passenger fare. Movement of all sort of autorickshaws remained suspended from the city streets till noon creating sufferings of the city dwellers.
According to sources, the leaders of Rajshahi City Easy-Bike Cooperative Association declared a fare hike of passengers and started to realise Taka 3.00 excess fare from passengers from January-1 last. But, local passengers protested such an increased fare hike and authorities of RCC also did not approve the fare hike and proposed the leaders of autorickshaw association to talk to them and requested them to suspend such fare hike till January-31. But, till this morning no decision being taken by RCC Mayor to hike the fare, the autorickshaw drivers thronged in front of the RCC Bhaban from this morning chanting 'Joy Bangla' slogans.
At noon, Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton went to the agitators and said he would soon take the decision of fare-hike after talking with the autorickshaw association leaders. But, the auto-drivers said, they have no leaders and he ( Mayor) should declare the decision of fare hike impromptu. Mayor Liton smiled with such demand and declared that he would declare the fare-hike of auto-passengers by February-15 next. As a result, the autorickshaw drivers again start to chant the 'Joy Bangla' slogan and resumed plying of their vehicles through the city streets.