Indefinite transport strike called off in Sylhet

The labour leaders of Sylhet called off the transport strike after six hours of the announcement based on the assurance of meeting the demands by the deputy commissioner.

Moinul Islam, president of the Sylhet District Bus-Minibus Workers Union confirmed the matter to the media around 10pm on Tuesday.  At the call of Deputy Commissioner Md Mozibor Rahman, the transport workers and leaders sat in a meeting around 7:30pm.

Meanwhile, the deputy commissioner said that he will consider their two demands. Later, the labour leaders announced the withdrawal of the strike.

All types of vehicles, including buses and minibuses, was announced to be closed indefinitely from 6am on Wednesday. The transport workers had said the strike had been called to demand smooth movement of buses on the Sylhet-Tamabil road and the arrest of Jaintapur upazila parishad chairman and upazila Awami League President Kamal Ahmed.

Moinul Islam said, "We have been on strike on the Sylhet-Tamabil road for the last two days, demanding these two demands. But as our demands were not met, the transport workers in the entire Sylhet district have announced an indefinite strike since Wednesday morning."

"All transport organizations have expressed solidarity with our movement. So, from Wednesday, no kind of vehicle will run on any road in Sylhet," he said.  According to sources, five people were killed in a collision between a bus and an easy bike in the Darvast area of Jaintapur upazila on the Sylhet-Tamabil highway on Friday night.

In a meeting convened by the "Shalish Samannay Committee" of Greater Jaintia's 17 Pargana' in protest against the incident, the demand was made to lay off the unskilled and unlicensed drivers of buses on the Sylhet-Tamabil highway and stop the movement of fitness-free vehicles.  On July 8, some locals led by Jaintapur upazila parishad Chairman Kamal Ahmed stayed on the highway and checked the licences of the bus drivers.

They seized the vehicles of unlicensed drivers.  The Sylhet District Road Transport Workers Union has called for a strike on the Sylhet-Tamabil road on July 9 to protest the incident and demand the arrest of upazila parishad Chairman Kamal Ahmed.

The strike began on Monday morning, leading to the suffering of commuters on this road for two days. After observing a two-day strike on the road, the workers called for a district-wide strike on Tuesday