Indefinite transport strike paralyses Sylhet, causes public suffering

Passengers and commuters are suffering immensely as road transport owners and workers enforced an an indefinite strike in Sylhet from 6:00am today.

The Sylhet District Road Transport Owners-Workers Unity Council yesterday called the strike to press home their six-point demands, including the removal of Sylhet's deputy commissioner and the reopening of stone quarries.

Due to the strike, no long-distance buses left Sylhet this morning, and no buses entered the city's central terminal. However, local transport services like CNG-run auto-rickshaws and other vehicles continued operating mostly as usual within the city.

In areas such as Zindabazar, Ambarkhana, Tilagarh, and Madina Market, traffic flow appeared normal, although the number of vehicles on the road was visibly lower than on regular days.

Photo: Sheikh Nasir

A commuter, Jyoti Shornokar said, "I planned to go to Sreemangal, but after reaching the bus terminal, I came to know that a strike was progressing. If their (transport workers') demands were valid, they could have solved it in a discussion with the government."

Talking to The Daily Star, Mohammad Al-Amin said, "I rushed to the bus terminal to go to Kishorganj as my mother fell sick. But now there is no way I can attend to my ailing mother. People who cannot afford to rent private vehicles are becoming hostages to the situation. They have demands, press them to the government, why making us hostages for this?"

Ali Akbar Rajon, joint secretary of Sylhet District Bus Minibus Workers' Union, said, "Six organisations gathered under the banner of the unity. If the government does not meet our demands by today, we will continue the strike more vigorously."

The six-point demands include cancellation of the circular under Section 36 of the Road Transport Act 2018, which limits the economic lifespan of buses and trucks; withdrawal of the suspension on lease approvals of stone quarries and reopening of sand and stone sites using traditional methods; cancellation of private contractors' involvement in issuing vehicle fitness certificates and withdrawal of increased taxes on public transport.

Other points are the restoration of electricity to crusher mills in Sylhet and return of confiscated meters and compensation for damaged mills and confiscated sand and stone; removal of Sylhet's Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Sher Mahbub Murad; and cessation of harassment of drivers transporting sand, stones, and other goods.