Bus owners on Thursday night suspended services to Dhaka from Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Natore districts in protest against what they termed ‘irrational demands’ of drivers and transport workers.
The suspension began at 10:00pm, said Bazlur Rahman Ratan, president of Bangladesh Bus-Truck Owners Association.
Earlier this month, drivers, helpers, and supervisors enforced two separate stoppages demanding higher wages and allowances.
Owners said that although workers’ salaries and benefits were recently increased, they have again raised new demands, including additional subsistence allowance and permission to pick up passengers randomly along routes.
‘Such practices will cause financial losses and under these conditions, it is impossible to continue operations,’ said Rahman.
He also said that a meeting was held in Dhaka on Tuesday with leaders of both the workers’ federation and owners’ association where operations resumed after a compromise. But fresh disputes have forced another shutdown.
On September 7, workers had also enforced a strike for two days. Services resumed on September 9, and they even slapped another strike from September 22.
The latest suspension has left travelers bound for Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet, and Cox’s Bazar in severe distress.
