Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Friday urged the transport owners and workers to call off the strike considering the people’s sufferings.
The minister came up with the call at a press briefing held at his residence in the capital.
Transport owners and workers on Friday enforced an indefinite strike across the country over the hike of fuel prices, causing immense sufferings to travellers and commuters.
They stopped plying public transports and vehicles carrying goods demanding an increase in fares or reverse of the hike.
Obaidul Quader said a committee of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) will hold a meeting on Sunday to re-evaluate the fares of public transports.
“We will discuss the issue with the stakeholders concerned and try to keep the additional pressure on people to a tolerable limit through a reality-based price adjustment.”
On Thursday, Bangladesh Truck-Covered Van Owners’ Association President Md Tofazzal Hossain Majumder and Bangladesh Road Transport Owners’ Association Executive President Rustam Ali Khan told the media that they would continue the strike if the government did not reduce diesel prices or raise fares.
The Energy and Mineral Resources Division said on Wednesday customers would have to buy diesel or kerosene at Tk 80 per litre from Thursday.
Due to the strike, thousands of long-route travellers were left stranded at places.
Besides, many people, including commuters, job aspirants, and university admission seekers, were forced to hire rickshaws, CNG-run autorickshaws, motorcycles or other modes of vehicles by paying much more than the usual fare to reach their destinations.
Meanwhile, the strike caused extreme trouble for traders along with exporters and importers.
Business-related people said they feared of incurring huge losses due to the strike while the fuel price hike already had them worried as it would also raise the production cost.
Bangladesh Truck-Covered Van, Tank Lorry, Prime Mover Owners’ and Workers’ Coordination Council in a press release said the government’s move to hike fuel prices, along with tolls for Bangabandhu and Muktarpur bridges, would add to the misery of the transport sector already ravaged by Covid-19.
