Sylhet transport workers postpone strike

Sylhet transport workers' unions have postponed their indefinite strike after a meeting with the divisional commissioner.

Ali Akbor, general secretary of Sylhet District Bus Minibus Coach Microbus Workers' Union, said the administration assured them of fulfilling their demands and requested to postpone the strike considering the SSC exams.

"We postponed the strike till 15 October following the administration's assurance and considering the Durga Puja festival and SSC exams. Hopefully, our demands will be met by this time," Moinul Islam, president of Sylhet District Bus Minibus Workers' Union, said after the meeting with Divisional Commissioner Dr Muhammad Mosharrof Hossain on Tuesday night.

Since this morning, transport workers took to the roads at various intersections and Sylhet city entrances, blocking movement of private vehicles, trucks, CNG-run auto rickshaws and even state-owned BRTC buses, causing great suffering for long-distance passengers as well as those travelling within the city.

Sylhet District Road Transport Workers Coordination Council, consisting of six organisations of transport workers, called the strike in Sylhet district.

The demands of the transport workers are:  to stop harassment by imposing wrecker charge and other fines by traffic police; withdrawal of the police commissioner, deputy commissioner (traffic) and additional deputy commissioner (traffic) of Sylhet Metropolitan Police; file vehicle fitness cases properly; stop harassment of workers' unions in Sylhet Labour Court and withdrawal of workers' representative Nazmul Alam Roman from the court; reopen stone quarries closed following the directions of the Supreme Court; repair all dilapidated roads in Sylhet; ban CNG-auto rickshaws, auto bikes, battery-run rickshaws, and vehicles from other districts.