Transport strike is going on in South Chittagong, passengers are suffering

Passenger buses have been stopped on the Chittagong-Cox's Bazar route without any announcement.

No bus has left Chittagong for South Chittagong including Cox's Bazar since Sunday (September 8) morning. Also, no vehicle entered Chittagong from Cox's Bazar.

The workers said that as they protested against excessive extortion, the secretary of the transport organization, Musa, attacked the genuine workers by using illegal workers and killed one of their senior drivers. They have come to the field today to protest against it.

The angry workers complained that like dictator Hasina, Secretary Musa has sucked our blood. If a local bus leaves from Chittagong, one has to pay Tk 1,680 to go to Cox's Bazar. They are recklessly extorting money in the name of various organizations like MP-ministers of Awami League. When we protested, we were attacked. The main goal of our movement is to stop these extortions in the name of transport organizations. Attacks on workers must stop. The safety of workers in this sector must be ensured.

A coordinator of the Arakan Road Transport Workers' Union said, 'Secretary Musa did not hold elections last term. They have sucked our blood for the last 17 years without elections. Now he wants to do illegal extortion. We will not let that happen again. Due to their torture, 8 thousand workers have left this profession in the last 17 years. We don't want this dictatorship anymore.'

The presence of army personnel was seen to control the situation by talking to the aggrieved workers. Leaders of some transport organizations were also seen at the time. They are trying to negotiate with the agitating workers.

Bangladesh /SBT