Strike halts road link between Khulna-northern dists

Road communications of Khulna division with country’s northern region remain suspended as transport owners and workers enforced an indefinite strike in Kushtia today.

Protesting the arrest of a conductor of a Kushtia-bound Alhaj Paribahan bus by members of Rapid Action Battalion in Baromile area of Kushtia on Thursday, transport owners and workers of the district yesterday jointly called the strike from from 6:00am today.

The transport leaders also demanded immediate release of the bus conductor.

Meanwhile, acting on a tip-off, Rab members arrested conductor Rubel Hossain for his alleged involvement in drugs smuggling after the elite force seized one kilogramme heroin from the bus during a drive. Later, Rab handed him over to local police in the following evening.  

A court in Kushtia sent Rubel to jail after he was produced before it on Friday, our local correspondent reports quoting law enforcers.

Terming roads of the district “a safe route for smuggling”, Major Robiul Islam, Rab-12 company commander in the district, told the correspondent that they will continue their drive in this regard. 

Contacted, Kushtia Transport Workers Association President Mahbub Alam claimed that people working in transport sector are actually not involved in the drug smuggling. 

“Law enforcers cannot arrest the real culprits who are using passenger busses for drug smugglers,” Mahbub told the correspondent. 

Earlier on September 17, the same organisations called indefinite strike in the district after Rab seized illegal drugs from a bus and arrested its conductor.