Bangladesh’s truck owners and workers have called for a 72-hour countrywide strike in the freight sector from 8:00 am on Tuesday to press home their various demands.
Bangladesh Covered Van-Truck-Prime Movers Goods Transportation Owners’ Association and Bangladesh Truck Driver Workers’ Federation have jointly called for this strike to press home their 15-point demand, Talukder Md Monir, president of Bangladesh Truck Driver Workers’ Federation, told The Financial Express.
Earlier, the strike was called at noon on Saturday at the office of the truck and covered van owner’s association at Kadamtali, Chittagong.
“We will call off the strike as soon as our demands are met”, Monir said.
As a result of the strike, the owners and workers' unity council has stopped transporting all kinds of goods at the Tejgaon truck stand in the capital, he pointed out.
Among the 15-point demands, advance income tax on trucks and covered vans cannot be levied, and advance income tax levied so far has to be refunded, Talukder insisted.
Licencing of truck and covered van drivers has been stopped for 10 years, so issuing licencs should be started immediately, he said.
And if the government does not accept their demands, more stringent programmes will be announced after the 72-hour strike, he added.
Among the 15-points demands of the groups, they also include ensuring a healthy working environment and bringing some amendments in the Road Transport Act -2018.
They sat with the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) at a meeting in this regard, but nothing was resolved, the president of Bangladesh Truck Driver Workers’ added.
