Sylhet transport workers call for strike from tomorrow

Transport workers in Sylhet have called for an indefinite strike from Monday to realise their five-point demand.

All public transports including buses, auto-rickshaws and goods carrying vehicles will be halted from 6am Monday, said Zakaria Ahmed, organising secretary of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation's Sylhet divisional committee.

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