Transport workers withdrew their indefinite strike in Sylhet district on Saturday afternoon following a discussion with district officials and the mayor of Sylhet City Corporation.
Earlier in the morning, they enforced the transport strike in the district protesting against an attack on an auto-rickshaw driver and police firing.On Friday morning, miscreants swooped on a CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver, Shafique Miah, in Lalabazaar area of Dakkhin Surma Upazila over a previous feud, leaving him injured.
As the transport workers blocked Sylhet-Dhaka Highway at Lalabazar protesting the attack on the auto-rickshaw driver, police opened fire at them.
Later, Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Oikya Parishad announced the indefinite strike at an emergency meeting on Friday.
Selim Ahmed Folik, President of the Sylhet chapter of Sramik Oikya Parishad, told reporters that the district transport leaders decided to keep their strike in abeyance for 10 days till April 15 after Sylhet City Corporation Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury and high officials of the district police administration assured them of arresting the miscreants who attacked the driver.
He also threatened to reinforce the strike if the attackers were not arrested within the set deadline.
Additional Commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police Abdullah Al Azad Chowdhury said that the vehicular movement in the district resumed around 5pm after the withdrawal of the strike.
No long-distance bus or truck was seen plying on the roads after the transport strike started at 6am on Saturday. This caused immense sufferings to the commuters.
However, there was no report of any violent incident anywhere in the district during the strike, Sylhet’s Superintendent of Police (SP) Nur-e Alam Mina told reporters. – bdnews24.com
