Leaders of Jashore District Paribahan Sangstha Sramik Union called a transport strike for December 28 on 18 routes demanding Sramik Union’s elections. The strike was announced from a protest rally held on Manihar premises in Jashore district town on Tuesday afternoon.
According to the announcement, the bus service will be closed from 6:00 am on December 28 to 6:00 am on December 29. If the administration’s decision is not lifted, stern programme will be announced later, said leaders of the platform.
The election implementation struggle committee of Jashore District Paribahan Sangstha Sramik Union organised the protest rally. It was presided over by the president of the organisation Mamunur Rashid Bachchu, while General Secretary of the Union Mortaza Hossain, vice-president Shahed Hossain Johnny, former President Azizul Alam Mintu, President of Magura District Motor Workers Union Imdad Hossain, President of Jashore District Truck Tanklory Workers Union Alam
Siddiqui Alam, General secretary of Jashore District Road Transport Workers Union Mizanur Rahman, former joint secretary of Jashore district Paribahan Sangstha Sramik Union Selim Reza Mithu and others spoke on the rally.
The workers union leaders said that the new committee has been in charge of their organisation through elections every three years for a long time. In that continuity the election day was fixed on March 20 this year. But due to the Corona epidemic, the deputy commissioner (DC) postponed the election on March 18.
Since then elections of various organisations, including by-elections of Jashore-6 constituency and by-elections of Jashore Sadar Upazila Parishad, have been held. Beside Parliamentary and local government elections are being held across the country. The election is not being held on the pretext of corona only in the case of this largest workers' organization in the south-western region. As a result the activities of the organization have become stagnant. In this situation, the election ceremony is urgent.
Former joint secretary of the union Selim Reza Mithu said that as the workers were going on strike voluntarily, passenger buses would be stopped on the day. If the demand is not met, the programme of continuous movement may come in the future, he added.