Truckers withdraw strike after govt assurance

Truck and covered van owners and workers have called off their strike after getting assurance from the government of meeting their demands. 

The announcement came around 12:45am on Thursday after around four hours' meeting among Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and truck and covered van owners and workers.

The home minister sat with the leaders of Bangladesh Truck Covered-Van Owners and Workers Oikya Parishad at his Dhanmondi residence 9:15pm on Wednesday.

After the meeting, home minister Asaduzzaman said,"We have considered truck and covered van owners and workers' nine-point demand and in response, they withdrew their strike."

"Responding to their first demand, drivers will get time till June 30, 2020 to update their driving license, and vehicle fitness certificate" he said.  

The minister said their demand of bringing amendments to the new road transport act would be sent to Road Transport and Bridges Ministry as recommendation for consideration.

Rustom Ali on behalf of the transport owners and workers said they called off their strike following government assurance.

He said, "Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal assured us of meeting our demands positively about new road transport act. That is why we announced to withdraw the strike. 

Besides leaders of truck and covered van owners and workers, bus owners' association leader Khandakaer Enayetullah was also present at the meeting.

Bangladesh Truck Covered-van Goods Transport Owners Workers Unity Council enforced an indefinite strike since Wednesday to press home their nine-point demand including amendment of new Road Transport Act. 

Meanwhile, bus workers have been observing undeclared strike in different parts of the country since enforcement of the Road Transport Act, 2018 on November 18. The workers demand amendments to the act and reducing penalties against them under the law.   

The much talked Road Transport Act, 2018 came into effect on November 1 more than 13 months after it was passed in the Jatiya Sangsad in September 2018.

The law was enacted in the wake of countrywide student protests after two students of Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College in the capital were killed by a reckless bus in Dhaka on July 29 of that year.