Transport Owners Association Announces 72-Hour Transport Strike from August 12 if Government Demands Not Met

The Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association has announced that if the government does not meet their eight-point demands, a 72-hour nationwide transport strike will be held starting from 6 AM on August 12. One of the main demands of the owners’ association is to extend the economic lifespan of commercial vehicles from 20 to 30 years.

This announcement was made by the central president, Kafil Uddin Ahmed, at a divisional meeting held yesterday (August 7) at a hotel on Station Road in Chattogram. He stated, “If all demands are not fulfilled by 6 PM on August 11, the strike will begin on August 12 and continue until August 15. After that, there will be no retreat.”

At the meeting, the owners also demanded amendments to certain provisions of the Road Transport Act, 2018. They expressed that the constitutional right to bail in accident cases should not be restricted by law.

Other demands from the owners include: amendment of bail-related provisions for drivers, permission to import reconditioned vehicles up to 12 years old, formulation of scrap policies for expired vehicles, introduction of separate lanes on highways for three-wheelers and illegal vehicles, speeding up the process of issuing and renewing driving licenses, prompt return of vehicles damaged in accidents to owners, and implementation of 12 demands by the Workers Federation.

Speakers warned that if the government refuses to meet the demands, the scope of the movement will widen, and once the strike begins, there will be no turning back.

This crisis in the transport sector is feared to have a significant impact on passenger and cargo transportation across the country.