Transport workers call indefinite strike in Sylhet from Monday over 3-point demands

Transport workers in Sylhet have called an indefinite strike across the district from 6am on Monday (16 November), pressing three demands, including the withdrawal of cases filed against workers’ union leaders over the deaths of two workers at the city’s Kadamtali Terminal.

The strike was announced at a meeting held at the office of the Sylhet District Bus, Minibus, Coach and Microbus Workers’ Union in Babna Point, South Surma, this afternoon (14 November), under the banner of the Sylhet District Road Transport Owners and Workers Coordination Council.

At the meeting, the leaders also urged workers to ensure the strike’s success, according to a press release issued by the workers’ union today.

The council submitted a memorandum to the administration on 8 November, outlining its three demands. As no effective action was taken, it decided at a meeting on 12 November to call an indefinite strike. The decision was formally announced at today’s meeting, the release said.

The demands include withdrawing cases filed against workers’ leaders over the deaths of two workers at Kadamtali Terminal; arranging designated parking for auto-rickshaws, easy-bikes, legunas and microbuses while removing battery-run rickshaws, easy-bikes and tomtoms from the city; and providing bank challan numbers for CNG-run auto-rickshaws.

Speakers at today’s meeting alleged that senior leaders of the workers’ union had been deliberately named in the cases filed over the Kadamtali incident.

The meeting was chaired by union President Haji Moinul Islam and conducted by Acting General Secretary Ali Akbar Rajon.