Nationwide 72-hour transport strike called off after govt assurance
The strike, announced by the Bangladesh Transport Owners-Workers Coordination Council, was scheduled to begin on 12 August.
Transport owners have withdrawn their 72-hour transport strike following a successful round of talks with government officials.
The meeting was held at the Bidyut Bhaban in Dhaka on Sunday (10 August), chaired by Fouzul Kabir Khan, adviser to the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, the ministry said in a statement.
The government assured the transport owners that their demands would be reviewed through proper administrative and policy channels.
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The strike, scheduled to begin on 12 August was announced by the Bangladesh Transport Owners-Workers Coordination Council to push for an 8-point charter of demands, including a proposal to extend the operational lifespan of commercial vehicles from 20–25 years to 30 years.
Other key demands are amending the Road Transport Act sections related to bail for drivers, reversing the increase in advance income tax on commercial vehicles, allowing imports of reconditioned vehicles up to 12 years old, ensuring accident-damaged vehicles are returned to owners within 72 hours, formulating a scrapping policy for expired vehicles, introducing separate lanes for three-wheelers and unauthorised light vehicles on highways, and expediting the issuance and renewal of driving licences. The leaders also called for implementing the workers' federation's existing 12-point demand.
