People’s sufferings across the country on Wednesday mounted due to an undeclared indefinite transport strike. Transport owners and workers enforced the strike since Monday protesting against implementation of the Road Transport Act. However, in the afternoon, transport movement on different roads and highways began following law enforcers initiatives.
The strike has been suspended in Narayanganj. Traffic movement restored on Dhaka-Narayanganj, Dhaka-Chittagong and Dhaka-Sylhet highways. But most buses and trucks were off the road including those in capital Dhaka, Khulna, Satkhira, Jhenidah, Narail, Kushtia, Meherpur, Jashore, Bhuapur upazila of Tangail and Rajshahi.
Although central leaders of transport owners and workers associations said they did not instruct their units to go for the strike but many workers, however, observed the on their own. On the other hand, Bangladesh Truck Covered-van Goods Transport Owners Workers Unity Council went on an indefinite strike across the country from Wednesday.
The much talked-about Act came into effect from November 1. The Road Transport and Bridges Ministry had announced the decision through a notification on October 22. According to Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passenger welfare platform, around 29,315 people were killed and 69,428 people injured in road accidents at different places across the country between 2015 and 2018.
The key reasons behind these fatal road crashes are reckless driving and unethical overtaking mentality of the drivers. Transport of goods and containers to and from Chattogram port has been halted since this morning due to a countrywide work abstention enforced by a section of transport workers and owners.
Inter-district Goods Transportation Organisation and Truck-Covered Van Owners’ Association (Chattogram) have been observing the strike. Meanwhile, Gate Sergeant Nasir Uddin of the Port Security Department (Ctg port gate 4) said very few vehicles were seen at the port gate today whereas on usual days the line stretches for miles.
No container-laden vehicles had started from any of the 17-private off-docks to the Chattogram port. A group of transport workers also brought out a procession in support of work abstention at Nimtala area of Port connecting road in the city. Transport workers have obstructed the movement of buses, trucks and lorries on Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways in Gazipur.
The passengers of far-away places have suffered. Besides, there are no buses and trucks on the road. Some transport workers were also reported to have broken glasses of some buses on the roads and used burned mollusks and ink on drivers' faces. Mauna Highway Police Officer (OC) Abul Hashem said that only a few buses, trucks and lorries were running on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway from dawn. From 8am onwards, all the transit lanes on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway were stopped. However, some local buses have been seen carrying passengers.
It has been seen observed at various places like Sadarghat, Gulistan, Paltan, Karwan Bazar, Farmgate, Mouchak, Malibagh, Rampura and Badda, commuters, including school students and office-goers waiting for public transports for hours. The few buses that come along charge extra fare for the service.
As a result, many are risking their lives travelling on trucks and pickup vans to reach their destinations. At some places transport workers have snatched the keys after stopping a few buses in the Demra Stafford area.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association Jatri kalyan Secretary General Mozammel Haque Chowdhury has demanded immediate withdrawal of the strike. He said that a well-established activist group was involved in a conspiracy to question the good works of the government at various times by influencing the transport sector.
The group is preventing the administration from implementing new road laws. They are spreading rumors among the innocent workers, he added. He demanded to bring them under the law quickly.
