Truckers stop work at Teknaf land port

Truck Workers Union brings out a procession on Teknaf-Cox Bazar Highway near Teknaf land port yesterday morning.Photo: STAR

Loading and unloading of goods at Teknaf land port in Cox's Bazar have remained suspended for the last two days due to a strike by truck workers.
Teknaf Truck Workers Union enforced the strike following seizure of two dried fish-laden truck of the younger brother of local Awami League lawmaker Abdur Rahman Bodi by the port authorities on Thursday night.
Port sources said the government is incurring a loss of about Tk 28 lakh in revenue everyday due to the strike.
Businessmen and workers of the land port said more than 50 workers of Teknaf Truck Workers Union entered the port at around 10:00am yesterday and staged a demonstration there.
They later held a rally on the main road near the port which was addressed, among others, by Cox's Bazar district Truck Workers Union Convener and Teknaf municipality's acting mayor Hasan Ahmed, Councillor Mohammad Yusuf, workers union leaders Mohammad Ilias, Nabi Hossain and Badiul Alam.
The speakers alleged that port manager (accounts) Jasim Uddin seized the trucks with dried fish imported from Myanmar on the pretext of dodging duty. The manager's hired goons also beat up trucker Sona Mia and helper Rumel and took away the keys of the trucks, they alleged.
The speakers threatened to paralyse the land port if the dried fish-laden trucks were not released and manager Jasim was not withdrawn in the next 24 hours.
Denying the allegation of assaulting trucker Sona Mia, administrative officer of United Land Port Ltd, a private organisation that runs the land port, Md Salahuddin said port authorities refused to issue out pass for additional 1644 kg dried fish in two trucks on the night of December 31 to local lawmaker's brother Abdul Amin.
Failing to get the out pass, Abdul Amin along with 15 to 20 criminals attacked the port manager Jasim Uddin, the administrative officer said.
A case was filed with Teknaf Police Station against t15 people including Abdul Amin.