Auto-rickshaw and light vehicle drivers have demanded that the government provides them emergency food and cash support to their families facing serious hardships due to nationwide 'strict nationwide lockdown'. In a statement on Saturday, Abul Hossain and Golam Faruk, President and General Secretary of the Bangladesh Auto-Rickshaw Light Vehicle Transport Workers Federation (BALTWF) respectively, said the lockdown has left them without any work and earning. Also read: Auto-rickshaw, light vehicles workers demand food, cash support amid 'lockdown' The BALTF leaders said they have already made appeals to different concerned government offices seeking cash and food support for the unemployed and unfed workers.      “Even, we made our appeals through a press conference on June 28 in the city”, the BALTWF leaders said. Also read: Auto-rickshaw drivers, light vehicle workers demand food support Transport workers are mainly day labourers. Their income has now totally stopped. “The transport workers feel that hunger is more critical for their lives than the Coronavirus.” “We need livelihoods to save our lives. That’s why we seek Prime Minister’s intervention to ensure cash and food support for the transport workers”, said the BALTWF statement.

Auto-rickshaw drivers and light vehicle workers organised a human chain in front of the National Press Club on Thursday demanding food support and allowing their operation by ensuring health safety rules. Addressing a rally during the human chain organised by the Bangladesh Auto-Rickshaw Light Vehicle Transport Workers Federation (BALTWF), the leaders of the organisation said that their members could not work during the lockdown. President of the BALTWF Abul Hossain presided over the rally. "This restriction ultimately put us in big trouble as we have become unemployed and our families will have to go hungry during Ramadan," said Golam Faruk, secretary of the BALTWF. He noted that the organisation had already appealed to different government offices for direct food and cash aid so that their families could survive. But this time no charitable person or organisation is coming forward to help the starving people while government assistance has not yet reached us, the leader said.

Auto-rickshaw and light vehicle transport workers demanded direct financial support from the government’s stimulus package instead of raising passengers’ fare by 60 percent. 

Bangladesh Auto-Rickshaw Light Vehicle Transport Workers Federation (BALTWF) has demanded that the government take strict action against extortionists in the transport sector ahead of the resumption of public transport after a two-month break.