Voicing concern over a number of court directives on payment of compensation for road accidents, a joint meeting of transport owners and workers on Thursday threatened to shut their business if those continue.
They also demanded reviewing of the verdicts saying that as it is not possible for them to pay millions of taka as directed to pay as compensation against accidents.
"We are surprised and worried. It has become impossible for us to pay compensation in a rate it is declared," former shipping minister Shajahan Khan said in a written statement.
He also said, "If we have to sell our vehicles and properties to pay compensation and drivers get life or death penalty, then it is better to leave this business."
Bangladesh Road Transport Owners and Workers Unity Council organised the Road Transport Owners Workers Joint Meeting at Gulistan Natya Mancha after the Supreme Court ordered to pay the victims not less than Tk 10 million in compensation.
Shajahan Khan, also executive president of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers' Federation, cited six verdicts and raised the question about punishment and exemplary punishment as per existing laws.
The former minister blamed the police for not filing cases against engineers or pedestrians when they were equally responsible for many accidents.
The ruling party lawmaker compared the situation of the transport sector with the cyclonic storm Fani and said the sector is now "great danger signal number 10."
'We request the High Court to reconsider these cases,' Shajahan said.
The workers' leader claimed that in last three years around 3,600 drivers got punishment in different cases filed following road accidents.
Former state minister and Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association executive president Moshiur Rahman Ranga, Khandakar Enayet Ullah and workers leader Osman Ali also spoke at the meeting.
Mr Ranga said currently the transport sector is passing through tough time and called for finding out the real reasons behind road accidents.
Mr Enayet Ullah said a transport company cannot be penalised for an accident involving one of his buses.
There was no reason for stopping the operation of all buses under that company, he added.
Around 3,000 transport owners and workers of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, Bangladesh Bus Truck Owners Association, Bangladesh Truck and Covered Van Owner Association and Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation attended the joint meeting.
They called on the authority to discuss different problems surfaced in the transport sector recently mainly imposition of compensation by the High Court in connection with road accidents.
