United News of Bangladesh

Truck owners and workers in Dinajpur have announced an indefinite strike from May 12, demanding an end to alleged extortion in the name of collecting toll on roads. The decision was announced by the Dinajpur Truck Owners’ and Workers’ Joint Council, which said all types of vehicles operated by its members, including trucks, covered vans, pickups and tractors, will remain off the roads during the strike. In a joint statement, council President Syed Sapu Ahmed, who also heads the Dinajpur Truck Owners’ Group, and General Secretary Sadaqatul Bari of the Truck, Tank Lorry, Covered Van, Pickup and Tractor Workers Union alleged that toll collection outside the designated truck terminal has effectively turned into “extortion” by municipal authorities. They claimed that instead of collecting tolls from the official truck terminal, the municipality has assigned two staff members and two outsiders to collect tolls from highways and roads. The leaders said despite repeated verbal protests, the practice continued, and they were even threatened with legal action for opposing the toll collection. The issue was discussed in a meeting of the joint council held on May 5, where leaders decided to enforce the strike from May 12 if the alleged irregularities are not stopped. Meanwhile, Dinajpur municipality Administrator Riaz Uddin said two rounds of tenders were invited through national and local newspapers in January and February for appointing an operator to collect tolls at the truck terminal, but no bidder responded. Following a decision taken at a monthly general meeting on March 30, a four-member committee, including municipal market inspector Md Mostafizur Rahman, collector Shamim Ahmed, and two truck workers – Rasheduzzaman Rashed and Shahid Jamil – was formed on April 20 to manage toll collection at the terminal. The municipality said the committee has faced obstruction to collecting tolls, resulting in the failure to meet revenue target. It said legal action will be taken if the committee’s work continues to be obstructed, and sought cooperation in toll collection activities.

Patients continued to suffer as the indefinite strike by interns at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) in Barishal entered its third day on Tuesday. All medical services, except the emergency ones, remained suspended causing suffering of patients and their attendants at the Bairshal division’s largest hospital.   The interns are on the strike demanding workplace security and the arrest of those who attacked its medical staff. The strike, which began on Sunday, follows a series of clashes at the hospital. On Sunday, Dr Dilip Kumar, a medical officer, was injured when a group of people staging demonstrations demanding reforms in the health sector and an end to all irregularities, hurled bricks at the hospital staff during a clash. Earlier, clashes also occurred between demonstrators and hospital staff on Thursday. Protesting the attack and demanding security, the interns launched a nonstop strike demanding their safety. Highway blockade in Barishal demanding health sector reform enters day 6 Dr Shakhawat Hossain Saikat, president of the hospital’s Mid-Level Doctors’ Association, said emergency services remained operational despite the strike. “Our doctors are attending patients indoors and outdoors at the director’s request. But without security, it is not possible to continue our work safely,” he said. Hospital Director Brig Gen Dr AKM Mashiul Munir assured that emergency services are running under police supervision. He said discussions are going on to resolve the issue and expressed the hope that interns  would get back to work soon.

The Bangladesh Jewellers Association (BAJUS) has withdrawn its decision to keep jewellery shops across the country closed for an indefinite period, a day after announcing the programme protesting the arrest of its vice-president Md Riponul Hasan. In a press release on Thursday, BAJUS said members of the Detective Branch (DB) of police arrested Riponul Hasan from his business establishment at Tantibazar in the capital on 28 May in a false and fabricated case using a fake political identity. “The political identity mentioned in the case by police is completely false. Riponul Hasan never held that position. He is not involved with any political organisation, nor has he ever been a member of any political party,” the statement said. BAJUS said the arrest of Ripon has shocked and angered jewellery traders across the country. In protest, all jewellery shops remained closed today as owners and workers staged rallies, processions and human chains demanding justice and his unconditional release. All jewellery stores across Bangladesh to shut down indefinitely from Thursday The association has drawn the attention of the chief adviser, home adviser, law adviser, finance adviser, commerce adviser, industry adviser, IGP and DMP commissioner to ensure justice in the incident. Considering the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha and hoping for a fair investigation and justice, BAJUS has decided to suspend the programme of indefinite closure of jewellery shops. It requested all jewellery establishments to remain open from Friday. However, BAJUS warned that if Riponul Hasan’s name is not withdrawn from the “false and harassing” case and justice is not ensured, it will be compelled to announce fresh protest programmes. Jewellery shops see Eid sales decline amid soaring gold prices

The indefinite work abstention enforced by transport workers in protest against the vandalism of buses centring the death of a boy in a road accident has been called off. Ali Akbar, assistant general secretary of Sylhet District Bus, Minibus, Coach, and Microbus Workers’ Union, confirmed the matter on Tuesday night saying, the strike was withdrawn following a meeting at the Office of Sylhet Deputy Commissioner in the evening. At the meeting, it was decided that no cases would be filed in connection with the death of the boy, the buses seized by mobs would be handed over to the bus owners soon and no attacks would be carried out on bus drivers and labours, he said. On Sunday morning, a group of children was playing football near Kamalganj Abdul Matin Community Center in Zakiganj upazila. A speeding bus ran over a boy named Abir Ahmed who went to the Sylhet-Zakiganj road to fetch the ball after it had gone there. The accident left him critically injured and he was rushed to a local hospital where physicians declared him dead. Read: Teenager hit by bus dies in Sylhet; road blocked in protest Enraged by it, locals and others vandalised three buses, prompting the transport workers to suspend bus services. The workers’ union called for the strike on Sunday afternoon and enforced it from Monday morning. The transport workers claimed that, in addition to the bus involved in the accident, at least three other buses were also damaged during the protests.

In light of the current fuel crisis, Sylhet's fuel traders will go on an indefinite strike from Wednesday. Sylhet Divisional Committee of Bangladesh Petroleum Dealers, Distributors, Agents, and Petroleum Owners Association has announced the indefinite strike after an emergency meeting on Saturday. According to their decision, traders will cease purchasing from the depot beginning next Wednesday (January 18) and cease selling to consumers from the following Sunday (January 22)  for an indefinite period. “The supply of fuel has long fallen short of the demand. The Sylhet oil traders have no choice but to protest,” said the speakers in the meeting. According to Sylhet fuel traders, the district's oil pumps have been running low on fuel for a long time due to the irregular movement of railway wagons from Chattagram to Sylhet. Previously, condensate (a mixture of light liquid hydrocarbons) obtained from Sylhet's gas fields was converted to petrol in multiple Sylhet plants. Since these government-owned plants were shut down, the condensate is now converted to petrol in Chittagong by a private plant. The district's fuel traders claimed that depot officials' inaction caused the crisis. "Authorities have repeatedly failed to supply fuel oil. They're just making excuses, and traders are suffering severe losses as a result. That is why we called a strike," said Jubaer Ahmed Chowdhury,  Central Secretary General and President of Sylhet Divisional Committee. Jubaer along with Humayun Ahmed,  General Secretary, made the announcement.

Water transport services on 18 routes from Barishal came to a standstill from Sunday midnight as workers went on a strike, causing passenger sufferings. The water transport workers announced the strike on Saturday night to press home their 10-point demand, including setting their minimum wage at Tk 20,000. Workers removed launches from Barishal terminal at 12am Sunday and movement of vessels, including those on long routes, remained suspended, according to Barishal water transport owners. Read more: BNP's rally the cue for Rajshahi transport owners to strike Freight operation from Barishal also remained suspended due to the strike. Master Ekin Ali, president of Noujan Sramik Sangram Parishad, said they will continue the strike until their demands are met. Other demands of the workers are: providing appointment letter, identity card and service book to workers; formation of Contributory Provident Fund and Seafarer Welfare Fund to provide food and sea allowances; providing Tk 10 lakh compensation for accident and death while on duty. Read more: Water transport workers to go on strike from Nov 26 Besides, water transport workers also want relaxation of restrictions on night-time movement of sand-carrying bulkheads and dredgers, stopping terrorism, extortion and robbery on waterways, stopping harassment along the Indian border in providing landing passes to workers travelling to India, 100% enforcement of goods transport policy at Chattogram port, and cancelling lease at Charpara Ghat and stopping all kinds of irregularities and mismanagement by the Department of Shipping.

Thousands of workers of 167 tea gardens  across the country, including 92 of Moulvibazar, went on an indefinite strike Saturday, demanding an increase in their daily wages to Tk300 from Tk120. Many workers also took to the streets in Choumohunay of Srimangal to press home their demand. The protesters said they will continue the strike until their demand is met. However, there will be no protests on Sunday, which is the weekly holiday for the workers, and Monday, which is National Mourning Day. Read: Tea workers go on strike demanding better pay Pankaj Panda, vice president of Bangladesh Tea Workers Union Central Committee, and Bijoy Hajra, president of Bangladesh Tea Workers' Union Balishira Valley, and Organising Secretary of the Union's Central Committee and other leaders from different valleys spoke at the protest rally. Workers demanded an increase to Tk300 a day, with inflation rising and the currency depreciating and said that workers in the country’s all tea gardens began a full-scale strike on Saturday, after four days of two-hour stoppages. Bangladesh is producing a record amount of tea every year through the toil of the tea workers. In 2021, a record 96 million kilograms of tea was produced in the country thanks to the hard labour of the underpaid tea workers. Although two agreements on increasing wages have been reached, the fate of more than 1.5 lakh tea workers in the country hasn’t changed a bit. Earlier on Friday, Bijoy Hajra, President of Bangladesh Tea Workers’ Union Balishira Valley and Organizing Secretary of the Union’s Central Committee, said that rampant price hikes of daily essentials are making it impossible for the tea workers to run their families on a meagre income of Tk 120 per day. “We’ve discussed the matter with the tea garden owners time and again but they are constantly breaking the agreements reached between the Union and the owners. Increasing the wages of the tea workers is a longstanding demand. Though the existing agreements say that wages will be increased every year, the owners haven’t done so for the last three years. That’s why we’ve been forced to call for a tough movement,” said Bijoy.

Transporters at Benapole on Wednesday embarked on an indefinite strike to press their three-point demand, including the transfer of an official of the land port.  Azim Uddin Gazi, general secretary of Benapole Transport Agency Owners Association, made the announcement on Tuesday. "We will not call off our strike until our demands are met." Read: C&F agents’ strike: Unloading at 11 customs station including Benapole suspended on Tuesday The demands include withdrawing Mamun Kabir Tarafdar, deputy director of Benapole Land Port, appointing a skilled driver and keeping the port area free from traffic congestion. Mamun Tarafdar is involved in corruption, Azim said. Meanwhile, the Federation of Bangladesh C&F Agent Association staged a protest at the port on Tuesday to press their several-point demands.

Five organisations including the Benapole Transport Agency Owners Association have announced an indefinite strike from Wednesday to press three demands,  including withdrawal of an official of the Benapole port. Azim Uddin Gazi, general secretary of Benapole Transport Agency Owners Association, made the announcement on Tuesday and said they will go for indefinite work abstention from Wednesday. The demands include withdrawing Mamun Kabir Tarafdar, deputy director of Benapole Land port, to appoint a skilled driver after increasing the supply of much equipment needed for the port and keep the port area free from traffic congestion after expanding designated places and ensuring adequate sheds. Meanwhile, five organisations staged a demonstration in front of the port. Loading and unloading of goods at Benapole port remained suspended for Tuesday as the Federation of Bangladesh C&F Agent Association enforced a day-long strike at the port to press home their several-point demands. Also Read: C&F agents’ strike: Unloading at 11 customs station including Benapole suspended on Tuesday Trade between India and Bangladesh remained suspended following the strike, at least through the ports covered by the strike. Azizur Rahman, the customs commissioner of Benapole Customs, said the customs house, port and check-post activities were operating as normal during the daylong strike. Activities at a number of  ports including Chattogram port, Dhaka customs, ICT, Mongla Port, Hili Port, Sonamasjid port and Bhomra port were however suspended as the strike was enforced countrywide.  When speaking, Azim said the loading and unloading activities of the port have been disrupted due to a crane forklift at the port. The transport agency owners placed their demand for ensuring adequate supply of port equipment but the authorities concerned did not pay any heed to their demand. Besides, Mamun is involved in many irregularities taking advantage of his post, he said. Azim also threatened to continue their movement until their demands are met. 

Benapole Transport Agency Owners Association will go for an indefinite strike from Tuesday demanding adequate cranes and forklifts for the country's largest land port. Azim Uddin Gazi, general secretary of Benapole Transport Agency Owners Association, disclosed the decision on Monday. He said that due to lack of adequate cranes and forklifts, loading and unloading of heavy goods are being seriously hampered. Read: Transport workers call off indefinite strike in Dinajpur As a result, it is taking long time to unload the imported goods, forcing the traders to go to another port, he said. “Besides, Deputy Director (Traffic) of Benapole Land Port Mamun Kabir Tarafdar was informed of the problems we are facing but he did not take any action,” Gazi added. “There are 6 cranes and 10 forklifts at the port. Though some of these have been damaged, the repairing work is underway and the problem will be solved soon, “said Mamun Kabir Tarafdar, Benapole Port Deputy Director (Traffic). Read: Railway staffers withdraw strike hours after enforcement Nayan, a representative of the owners, said that almost all the cranes and forklifts at the port have become obsolete. As a result, they have to pay extra money to rent trucks every day which is causing huge losses, Nayan added.