Home ›› 07 Nov 2021 ›› Front
Launch owners joined the ongoing transport strike against the fuel price hike and stopped operating their vessels on Saturday evening.
Mahbub Uddin Ahmed, president of Bangladesh Inland Waterways Passenger Carrier Association, said on Saturday evening launch owners had already moved their vessels from terminals across the country.
“We did not officially declare a strike, but launch owners cannot afford to operate vessels after the fuel price hike. That is why they stopped operations,” he said.
Zaynul Abedin, joint director of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority at Sadarghat, also told the media all launches had been moved from Sadarghat by afternoon.
Bangladesh Inland Waterways Passenger Carrier Association Secretary Siddiqur Rahman Patwary said on Saturday evening, “We talked to the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority chairman over the phone. He said there would be a meeting with us at 12:30pm today, but he has not contacted us yet.”
Road transport associations also said on Saturday they would not resume services unless the government raised fares or rescinded the fuel price hike.
They said they would decide whether to call off the strike or not after a meeting with the government on Sunday (today).
The strike began on Friday morning to protest against the rise in fuel prices by Tk 15 per litre. As a result, people all over the country suffered a lot.
Nur Mohammad Majumder, chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, told the media they would hold talks with transport leaders on Sunday because of the weekend.
Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association Secretary General Khandaker Enayet Ullah told The Business Post there was little possibility of withdrawing the strike before Sunday.
“We have a meeting on Sunday morning over revising bus fares. After the meeting, we will decide whether the strike will be called off or not.”
After a meeting with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal at his residence in Dhanmondi on Saturday, leaders of the truck owners and workers federation vowed to continue the strike until additional fuel prices were withdrawn or fares were increased.
The home minister reportedly told them the final decision on the matter would be announced after talking to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Meanwhile, most public transports in Chattogram city will resume today as local transport owners have relaxed the strike.
“Public transports will resume from 6am on Sunday,” said Belayet Hossain, president of Chattogram Metropolitan Transport Owners Association.
“However, inter-district buses, covered vans, and trucks will remain suspended,” he added.
