The ongoing indefinite strike called by transport owners protesting against fuel price hike continued to cripple normal life in the country for the last two days. Normal life has come to a standstill across the country as commercial operators continued to keep buses, coaches, truck, covered van, tank lorry, prime movers and other vehicles from running.
In the capital, all buses -- intra and inter-city -- and microbuses stayed off the roads for the second day in a row. Besides, on Saturday launch owners also joined the nationwide transport strike demanding increase of water vessels’ fares to cope with the fuel price hike.
As a result, thousands of people got stranded across the country. However, if the strike continues, it would create a container backlog at country’s two sea ports Chattogram and Mongla ports and other river ports.
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Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Friday urged transport owners and workers to withdraw their strike considering the plight of students and general people. But instead of paying heed to his call, the transport owners held the people hostage and threatened to continue the strike until the government changes its decision.
We urge the transport owners to withdraw
the strike considering the plight of general people
We envisage that the transport owners are holding country’s people hostage in a planned way in order to increase travel fare. We want to pose a question why the CNG-run buses, coaches, microbuses and other vehicles stayed off the roads? It is clear that that transport owners will start charging excess, illogical and unethical fare from the travellers immediately.
In this regard, the fare re-fixation committee of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority will hold a meeting with the transport owners today (Sunday). In consultation with the stakeholders, the committee will try its best to keep the pressure of extra fare on people at tolerable level through adjustment of transport fare based on realty.
On the other hand, taking the chance of transport strike, some vested elements are also spreading misleading information in order to create a chaotic situation. It is worth mentioning that Sheikh Hasina’s government takes the issues of 'public interest' into consideration with utmost sincerity. Therefore, authorities concerned must keep an eye so that no one can increase the cost of daily essentials and transport fares at an unfair way in excuse of price adjustment of fuel. Also, we urge the transport owners to withdraw the strike considering the plight of general people.