The truck owners and workers association has called for an indefinite country-wide strike pressing their nine-point demands for staying and reforming the new road transport law.

Bangladesh Truck Covered-Van Goods Transport Owners and Workers Unity Council called the strike effective from Wednesday (Nov 20).

A spot visit to Tejgaon truck stand in Dhaka on Wednesday (Nov 20) showed that the trucks have not left and the workers have started gathering there.

“We are leading a peaceful strike since 6 am. No truck left with any products,” said the council’s convener Rustam Ali.

Meanwhile, workers beat up a driver for driving a water-supplying truck during the strike in Tejgaon. Police later brought the situation under control.

Their demands include amending the fines and punishment in the Road Transport Law-2018 and implementing a scientific legislation, a representative of the union council in any transport-related committees, any lawsuits for accidents to be bail-able and not holding drivers responsible alone. Steps must be taken after a thorough probe by a committee and transport owners cannot be arrested or harassed in any case of accidents, stopping harassment in the name of checking documents on highways and provide licences with easy conditions.