Transport leaders threaten to enforce strike from Sept 4

Bangladesh Road Transport Workers’ Federation has decided to enforce an indefinite strike in all eight districts of Rajshahi from September 4, if a murder case against a driver is not withdrawn.

The decision came from a meeting held in Natore, said sources at the organisation.

The federation’s divisional unit general secretary Ansar Ali told this newspaper last night that their leaders in Rangpur and Dhaka will sit on August 27 and 28 to decide on expansion of the strike to the divisions.

On August 17, traffic police constable Rabi Chowdhury was killed as a goods-carrying truck ran him over in Mymensingh.

Highway police seized the truck, arrested its driver Shahjahan Ali in Natore and accused him of murdering the policeman.

He said the government signed an agreement with the federation that cases over deaths in road accidents would be bailable. Those can turn into murder case only when the driver is found guilty, he said.