Transport men go on strike in Bagerhat

UNB, Bagerhat :
Vehicular movement on major routes in the district remained suspended for several hours on Tuesday as the Inter-district Motor Workers’ Union enforced a strike protesting the arrest of their union leader.
Transport workers went on strike around 6 am yesterday following the arrest of Mina Hasibul Hasan Shipon, president of Bagerhat municipality unit Jubo League and general secretary of Inter-district Motor Workers’ Union, and another person on charge of demanding extortion and attack on a private institution early on Monday.
Vehicular movement on 11 major routes in the district, including the Bagerhat-Khulna road and the Bagerhat-Pirojpur road, remained halted for several hours due to the strike, causing immense sufferings to the commuters.
Besides, the activists of Sramik League and Jubo League brought out a procession in the town protesting the incident. They also burned tyres at different parts of the district.
Meanwhile, police fired five gunshots to disperse a group of protesters as they tried to enter the Bagerhat model police station around 8:45 am.
Bagerhat model police station OC Ali Azam Khan said Mohammad Abu Zafar, executive director of Bagerhat New Bashundhara Real Estate Ltd, filed a case with the police on Monday night, accusing 15 people, including Shipan, of making extortion attempt.
Police Super of the district Nizamul Haque Mollah said they have had a meeting with the union leaders to resolve the problem as quick as possible.
The workers’ leaders assured the police of withdrawing the strike very soon, he added.
Connected, Bagerhat Motor Workers’ Union president Talukdar A Baki said the workers have already removed the barricades that were placed on major roads of the district around 4pm on Tuesday.
But the workers are not willing to call the strike off until Shipon is released from the police custody, he added.