Bus, truck and covered van owners called an indefinite nationwide strike from Friday in protest against fuel price hike.

Convenor of Bangladesh Truck-Covered Van, Tank Lorry and Prime Movers Owners and Workers Coordination Council Md Rustom Ali announced their decision on Thursday following an emergency meeting of the organization.

Leaders of the organization said the government raised the toll of Bangabandhu Bridge and Muktarpur Bridge from 257 per cent to 300 per cent “illogically” on November 2 and then it raised the prices of fuel, said a press release.

Read:Diesel, kerosene prices raised to Tk 80 per litre

Transport movement had remained suspended for a long time due to Covid in the last two years. When the transport owners are trying to make a turnaround from their huge losses caused by Covid shutdown, the decision of raising bridge toll and fuel price was announced, they added.

UNB Rajshahi correspondent reports that the transport owners and workers have decided to suspend their services from 6:00am on Friday protesting the price hike.

Mahatab Hossain Chowdhury, general secretary of Rajshahi District Motor Workers’ Union, confirmed the decision.

They also demanded the bus fare be adjusted in line with the fuel price hike.

On Wednesday, the government raised the prices of diesel and kerosene at the retail level.

As per the new price, the diesel and kerosene will be selling at Tk 80 per litre instead of Tk 65 with effect from zero hour on Thursday, said a press release of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.

It said the prices of other petroleum products will remain unchanged.

Read: Freight transport strike in Sylhet on November 9 and 10

It clarified that the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has been incurring a loss of Tk 20 crore per day as it is selling diesel at Tk 13.01 lower per litre and furnace oil at Tk 6.21 per litre, lower than their imported prices.

It said the petroleum prices have been readjusted against the backdrop of price hike of petroleum on the international market.