Road links between 21 districts and other parts of the country, including Dhaka, remain snapped as transport owners and workers enforced an indefinite strike yesterday morning to press home their six-point demand.
The strike was initially called in 10 districts of Khulna division and was extended to six districts in Barisal and five in Dhaka divisions, causing extreme sufferings to passengers of different routes.
The leaders and workers enforced the strike demanding an end to extortion, traffic jam and harassment of passengers and motor workers at Daulatdia ferry terminal, reports our Jhenidah correspondent, quoting Abdur Rahim Dudu, joint convenor of Khulna Divisional Transport Owners and Workers' Coordination Committee.
The owners and workers will continue the strike until their demands are met, Abdur Rahim said.
"We asked the authorities concerned on several occasions to resolve the problems, but they did not take any steps in this regard," the transport leader claimed.
Inter-district Motor Owners and Workers' Coordination Parishad at a press conference in its Jessore unit office yesterday called the indefinite strike in Khulna, Jessore, Narail, Magura, Jhenidah, Chuadanga, Meherpur, Kushtia, Bagerhat and Satkhira, reports our Kushtia correspondent.
At the conference, transport leaders suggested that truck and pick-up van drivers use Jamuna Bridge instead of Daulatdia ferry terminal during the strike.
Loading and unloading at Benapole land port remained suspended since morning following the strike, adds our Benapole correspondent.
Passengers travelling with passports have also been suffering due to the halt in transport movement.
Later, transport leaders of five districts of Dhaka and six of Barisal divisions joined the indefinite strike, expressing solidarity with the Inter-district Motor Owners and Workers Coordination Parishad.
The districts are Faridpur, Gopalganj, Rajbari, Shariatpur and Madaripur under Dhaka division and Barisal, Pirojpur, Patuakhali, Barguana, Jhalakathi and Bhola under Barisal division.
Contacted, Ashraf Ullah, manager (operations) of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation, Daulatdia office, said construction of a bypass road has already started to ease traffic movement heading towards the terminal.
On the issue of extortion, the BIWTA official said it was the duty of police to maintain law and order.