Sylhet: Transport strike threatened on Monday to press for opening of stone quarries

A transport union threatened to enforce a strike for next Monday unless the local administration withdraws the ban on collecting stones from quarries in the district by Sunday.

Sylhet divisional truck, pickup van and covered van owners-workers' solidary council also threatened to go for a nonstop tougher programme across the entire division unless their demands are met by the deadline.

Golamd Hadi Chhoyful, convenor of the transport organisation, told UNB that they submitted separate memorandums to the divisional commissioner and deputy commissioner with the demands to open the quarries on October 16.

He said they will initially enforce a 48-hour strike to press home their demand in the district on next Monday and subsequently across the entire division if their demands are not met.

"We will observe work abstention across the division if our demands are not met within the period," he said.

Transport workers said stones  from the quarries of Sylhet's Bholaganj, Bichnakandi, Jaflong, and Lovchhara had long been transported across the country since the country's independence.

They informed that some 1.5 million people directly or indirectly are involved with the transportation and stone collecting business.

But, they have been bearing burnt of the economic crisis for long because of the ban.

Those who bought vehicles for transporting stones taking loan from banks have been hit hard, they said.

They also alleged that the administration has closed the quarries for the sake of environment, but it has been impacting their lives.