Bus-Truck Owners' Association and Bangladesh Road Transport Workers' Federation yesterday protested the murder of a transport worker by extortionists and demanded punishment to the killers and security of the transport workers.
The transport owners and workers also strongly criticised the highway policemen for their alleged involvement in harassing the drivers at night and demanding money from them.
Extortionists killed transport worker Mohammad Parvez on September 11 in the city.
The association leaders threatened to paralyse the transport sector on October 14 if the government fails to arrest the killers and stop harassment by the police on highways by October 13.
At a press conference at the National Press Club in the city, they announced a series of programmes to realise their demands immediately.
They said the bus owners and workers at Gabtoli Bus Terminal will wear black badges tomorrow and will observe a strike from 3:00pm to 5:00pm interrupting road communications on September 22.
Criticising the dubious role of police and Rab men, they said the bus owners, receiving death threats from extortionists over cellphones, filed general diaries (GDs) and complaints with respective police stations, but the law enforcers have not taken any steps to protect them and to save the lives of the workers.
Presided over by Chairman of Bangladesh Bus Truck Owners' Association GM Siraj, the press conference was addressed by Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation Executive President Shajahan Khan, also former lawmaker, and Joint Secretary Golam Morshed Pintu.
Siraj said a highway wing of the police department was formed to check robbery in transport at night, but in most cases the policemen take papers from the drivers in the name of examining those, but later they return the papers in exchange for money.