Freight transport strike in Sylhet from today

Staff Reporter :
Some transport and stone extraction workers have demanded withdrawal of the government’s ban on stone extraction from the quarries in Sylhet division.
Workers and owners of goods transports have called a 48-hour strike in Sylhet district from Monday midnight.
Meanwhile, the environmental rights activists have termed the transport workers’ demand as ‘illogical’ and such anti-environment demand should not be met by the government.
However, the workers and owners decided to suspend truck, pickup van and covered van services till November 1 and demanded for withdrawal of ban on stone extraction from the quarries of the Sylhet division’s four districts.
On the other hand, Sylhet Divisional Truck, Pickup Van and Covered Van Owners-Workers Council also threatened to go for a strike in Sylhet division from November 3 if the demand is not met within the said period.
The environmental rights activists, however, said that rampant stone extraction destroyed hillocks and riverbeds as well as posing serious environmental and ecological threat.
According to the Bureau of Mineral Development, there are eight stone quarries in Sylhet district — four in Companiganj upazila, two in Gowainghat and one each in Kanaighat and Jaintiapur upazilas.
A top-level committee was formed by the Cabinet Division on December 3, 2019 and in accordance to its suggestion, the Energy and Mineral Resources Division on February 18, 2020 and November 2, 2020 instructed to stop all stone extraction.
Shabbir Ahmed Foyez, organising secretary of Sylhet District Truck Owners’ Group, said, “There is no other industry in Sylhet. Depending only on the stone industry, transport owners get involved in this business. At the moment, the owners of at least 30,000 trucks are unable to pay the installments. In addition, millions of workers of these transports are unemployed.”
“Considering the fact, we called the strike,” he added.
The transport leaders said, “We urge the administration to form committee to ensure manual stone extraction by protecting environment.”
Contacted, Md Mozibor Rahman, Deputy commissioner of Sylhet, said, “A top-level committee has been formed recently who are considering the fact whether stone extraction should be allowed and if it is allowed, what would be the method. We have urged the transport workers to wait till the committee decision on the matter.”