Transport strike in 10 Khulna districts continues

The indefinite transport strike enforced in 10 districts of Khulna division protesting the life term imprisonment at a case filed against a bus driver in over a road accident that killed five people, including noted filmmaker Tareque Masud and cinematographer Mishuk Munier, entered the second day on Monday.

The 10 districts are Bagerhat, Chuadanga, Jessore, Jhenidah, Khulna, Kushtia, Magura, Meherpur, Narail and Satkhira, reports UNB agency.

All modes of vehicles, including the long-distance ones, stayed off the roads due to the strike enforced by Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation, causing immense sufferings to passengers. Loading and unloading of goods at Benapole land port came to a halt due to the strike.

Thousands of goods-laden trucks remained stranded at the port. The massive traffic congestion was triggered following the strike.

Khulna regional committee of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation declared the strike on Saturday.

On Wednesday, a court in Manikganj sentenced bus driver Jamir Hossain, 48, of Daulatdiar village of Chuadanga district, to life term imprisonment in a case filed over the deaths of Tareque and Munier.

The court also fined the driver Tk 5,000 and he will have to suffer three months more imprisonment in default to pay the fine.

He was also awarded two years more imprisonment and fined Tk 2000, in default, to serve one month more imprisonment, for using his expired driving license during the incident.

Tareque Masud, Mishuk Munier and three others were killed as a microbus, carrying them, collided with a bus, driven by convict Jamir, on Dhaka-Aricha Highway in Ghior upazila while returning to Dhaka from Manikganj on 13 August 2011.