Nationwide transport strike on 12-15 August

The Bangladesh Road Transport Owners-Workers Coordination Council has called a 72-hour nationwide transport strike from 6:00am on Tuesday (12 August) to 6:00am on Friday (15 August).

During this period, all buses and trucks will remain off the roads across the country.

The strike aims to press for eight demands, including amendments to the Road Transport Act 2018.

The announcement was made by Saiful Alam, general secretary of the central committee of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners’ Association, following a meeting at the Bangladesh Transport Workers’ Union office in Jashore on Friday afternoon.

The council alleged that the Road Transport Act 2018, enacted under the previous “fascist” Awami League government, has been applied unilaterally against transport workers and owners.

In particular, sections 98 and 105 were described as excessively punitive and unfair to transport workers.

Despite repeated demands for amendments, the government has not taken effective measures, prompting the decision for a nationwide strike, the transport leaders said.

The eight demands include - amending the Road Transport Act 2018; extending the economic life of commercial vehicles to 30 years; allowing older vehicles to operate based on fitness tests; withdrawing the proposed double advance income tax; increasing the import age limit of reconditioned commercial vehicles to 12 years; ensuring that seized vehicles in accidents are released to owners within 72 hours; formulating a scrapping policy for expired vehicles; and creating separate lanes for three-wheelers on highways along with faster issuance of driving licenses.

Council leaders argued that if the government’s primary goal is to reduce environmental pollution, vehicle fitness and emissions testing should determine roadworthiness - not age limits.

They stressed that older vehicles can operate in an environmentally friendly manner if properly maintained.

They also demanded a halt to ongoing drives targeting older vehicles.

Transport leaders warned that unless the government takes prompt, effective action to meet the demands, stricter programmes will follow.

They also criticised the proposed double advance income tax in the budget as unrealistic and burdensome for small and medium vehicle owners, noting that many vehicles are registered under banks or leasing companies, preventing actual owners from adjusting their taxes — a situation they described as discriminatory.

The meeting was presided over by Anisur Rahman Liton, president of the council’s Khulna division.

Among those present were Bangladesh Transport Workers Federation Central President Abdur Rahim Box Dudu, and Yusuf Ali, general secretary of the Barishal Division of Owners-Workers Unity Council, among others.