Transport workers block road for 5-hour in C'nawabganj

Transport workers block the road on both sides of Captain Mohiuddin Jahangir Bridge for five hours yesterday protesting increase of toll for crossing the bridge over the Mahananda River in Chapainawabganj district.Photo: STAR

Vehicular movement on Chapainawabganj-Sonamasjid highway remained halted for five hours from 8:45am yesterday as transport workers blocked the road near the town protesting further rise in toll for crossing Bir Shreshtha Captain Mohiuddin Jahangir Bridge.
The Roads and Highways Department has again increased toll for vehicles crossing the bridge over the Mahananda River with effect from midnight on Friday. With this, the department has hiked bridge toll rates thrice since May this year, said transport owners and workers.
Angered by the latest rise in toll rates, drivers and helpers of buses, minibuses and trucks blocked the highway, keeping vehicles haphazardly near the toll plaza at Baroghoria point.
Several hundred buses, trucks and other vehicles got stranded on both sides of the bridge, causing immense sufferings to the passengers and hampering smooth supply of goods.
On information, police and lawmaker Abdul Wadud from Chapainawabganj-3 constituency (sadar) rushed to the spots but failed to restore communication.
Later, the district officials sat with the leaders of Bus Owners' Association and Truck and Motor Workers' Union at the deputy commissioner's office. But the meeting did not yield any fruitful results.
At around 2:00pm, transport owners and workers withdrew the road blockade.
Monwarul Islam, president of Chapainawabganj Bus Owners' Association, and Sarwar Hossain, vice-president of District Truck and Motor workers' Union, told this correspondent that they withdrew the blockade to facilitate the arrival of Brigadier General (retd) Enamul Haque, state minister for energy, power and mineral resources, in Chapainawabganj from Shibganj on the day.
“We will soon declare next agitation programme to mount pressure on the authorities concerned to withdraw the new toll rates.