A goods transport strike is underway in Sylhet district for the second consecutive day demanding resumption of stone extraction from quarries. Goods transportation to wholesale and retail markets have been adversely affected following the strike.
The 48- hour strike, enforced by Sylhet truck, pickup, covered van malik-sramik pikya parishad, began at 6 am on Monday and will continue until 6 am on Wednesday . Sabbir Ahmed Foyez, organising secretary of Sylhet truck, pickup, covered van malik-sramik oikya parishad, said, "Our workers are observing the strike peacefully."
He said, "We had a meeting with the district administration and they said that a committee has been formed by the Ministry of Mineral Resources to examine the demand for stone extraction". A delegation of the ministry will visit the site on November 3 and will take the next decision based on the report of the committee, he added.
So, the strike might be called off at midnight instead of 6 am on Wednesday, he further said. Earlier on Sunday (October 30) afternoon, a meeting of goods transport workers' leaders was held at the deputy commissioner's office but no solution came from the meeting. On Sunday, the goods transport owners decided to go on strike, demanding withdrawal of a ban on stone extraction and reopening of stone quarries in the district's Jaflong, Bichanakandi and Bholaganj.
According to the transport workers and owners, a total of 15 lakh people are directly involved in the stone business in Sylhet. Transport workers said stones from the quarries had long been transported across the country since the country's independence but a government ban for the last five years has had an adverse impact on the freight transport owners.
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