The three major groups transporting goods and containers to and from Chittagong across Bangladesh-truck drivers, van drivers and tractor drivers-plan to go on strike later this month to meet their various demands.
The Bangladesh Trucking Owners’ Association and the Bangladesh Truck Drivers and Workers’ Federation have called for a 72-hour strike starting on September 21 to meet their 15-point requirements.
In addition, Parishad, the main porter coordination department of Bangladesh trucks covering vans and tanks, called for a strike starting on September 27 to meet their 10-point requirements.
In the past few weeks, these organizations have been expressing their dissatisfaction across the country in multiple forms, including forming a human resource chain and gathering in front of the National Press Club in the capital.
The strike representative Rustam Ali Khan said at the rally that unless the requirements are met before September 27, they will follow the agreement and go on strike.
These requirements include: eliminating the complexity of issuing permits, taking effective measures to stop theft during cargo transportation, stopping police harassment and extortion in the name of cargo inspections, repealing increased income taxes, and establishing modern facilities on expressways and districts. Truck dock.
Other organizations have also called for a strike to begin on September 21. They put forward 15 requirements, including creating a good working environment, making necessary amendments to the 2018 Road Transport Law, and eliminating the income tax levied on car owners.
Traders said that if truck drivers go on strike, the transportation of all kinds of goods and boxes will stop, and the supply chain will collapse, causing serious chaos.
In Bangladesh, a large part of the domestic goods and most of the import and export goods are transported by truck drivers, van drivers and tractor drivers.
Usually, within 24 hours, the export of goods from Chittagong Port is about 8000 TEU, and the number of boxes received by the port is also roughly the same. Every day, about 4000 trucks enter the port to transport goods and containers. A strike may stop all these operations.
“Any traffic strike will deal a major blow to us, because after the long-term supply interruption related to the epidemic, factories and companies are now open for business.” said Ashraf Ali, a trader in Dhaka.
He believes that for the benefit of trade and commerce, the government should sit with truck workers and car owners to resolve the deadlock.
Abul Kalam Azad, the owner of a garment factory in Narayangkanji, pointed out that as the global epidemic situation eases, buyers have placed a large number of orders.
"The factory is under tremendous pressure in stocking and timely delivery. Any interruption at this moment will hinder the economic recovery." Azad said, and requested consultations with the government to cancel the strike plan.
