Bus service resumes in Khulna after 4-day strike

Bus services resumed on 17 long routes in Khulna this morning four days after its suspension due to transport workers strike in demand of reviewing the new road transport law.

Bus movement on the routes from Khulna city to other districts began following a meeting that took place yesterday, said Nurul Islam Nobi, president of Khulna Motor Workers Union.

But bus operation on a route to Kushtia from the city still remains suspended, our Khulna correspondent reports.

Transport owners and workers enforced an indefinite strike on Monday, defying a request made by Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader to refrain from calling strike centring the Road Transport Act-2018.

Besides, Bangladesh Truck, Covered-van Goods Transport Owners-Workers Unity Council observed work abstention on Wednesday to press home their demands, including changes to the act.

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Indefinite Transport Strike: Businesses in for a blow

People suffered in different parts of the country due to the wildcat strikes in different districts.

However, truckers and covered-van drivers called off their strike Thursday night.

After the law was enforced, the drivers said they “felt unsafe” as many of them have no valid documents.  

The new law, with increased fines for traffic offences, was supposed to be put into effect on November 1. But it was delayed as transport associations had allegedly been lobbying against it.

Although central leaders of transport owners and workers’ associations said they did not instruct their units to go for the strike, many workers have been observing work abstention since November 18.