Workers’ leaders vow to continue transport strike
The transport workers have announced to continue the strike until their demands are met.
They also urged shipping minister Shajahan Khan, also a workers’ leader, to take initiative for holding talks with the prime minister to end the stalemate.
Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation announced a wildcat indefinite strike across the country from Tuesday following a court verdict that sentenced a driver to death.
The strike has left people in distress and caused immense sufferings on Tuesday.
The federation on Monday announced the strike after a court had sentenced driver Mir Hossain Miru to death in a case filed over a road crash that left a woman dead in Savar in 2003.
Transport workers had meanwhile been enforcing another indefinite strike in 10 districts of Khulna division since Sunday, protesting at the life term imprisonment in a case filed against a bus driver over a road accident that killed five people, including noted filmmaker Tareque Masud and cinematographer Mishuk Munier.
The transport workers said they will continue to enforce the strike until driver Mir Hossain Miru is freed.
Bangladesh Inter-district Drivers Union president Tajul Islam made the announcement at a workers’ rally in the capital’s Gabtali bus terminal.
“No vehicle will be allowed to run on the road, barring vehicles of emergency service like ambulances and newspaper-carrying car,” said Tajul Islam.
Calling on the shipping minister to take initiative for talks with the prime minister, he said, “Our leader Shajahan Khan is a minister. It’s a matter of two minutes if he speaks to the prime minister. We will bring the workers out of jail by revoking the law. Workers will drive the vehicles once all of our demands are met.”
The general secretary of workers union, Rustam Ali, said the drivers will not be able to drive the cars with death sentence and life term hanging on their shoulder.
“Our movement will continue as long as the law is not repealed and convicted drivers are not freed,” vowed the transport workers’ leader.