Transport strike of truck workers intensifies in Bangladesh

The strike called by the transport workers in Bangladesh intensified on Wednesday after truck owners and workers joined in the indefinite strike against the new Transport Act which came into effect from Sunday.

Services of buses and trucks are affected in many parts of Bangladesh including Khulna, Jessore, Kushtia, Tangail, Mymensingh and Pabna causing inconvenience to the passengers and affecting normal life. Movement of containers at the Chattogram port is also reported to be affected as truckers strike started on Wednesday morning.

Traffic on Dhaka-Chattogram, Dhaka-Sylhet and Dhaka-Tangail routes reported sparse movement of trucks and buses. While the strike by bus operators and workers started on Monday, the indefinite strike by truckers started Wednesday morning.

They are demanding amendment to the Transport Act 2018. The transport owners and workers nine point charter of demands includes making the traffic offenses bailable and not holding the drivers alone responsible for accidents. They have also demanded that harassment in the name of checking of documents should stop.