Water transport workers have gone on a countrywide indefinite strike to press home their 11-point demand.

Bangladesh Water Transport Workers’ Federation enforced the strike at Sadarghat in Dhaka on Tuesday (Jul 23) midnight with various demands, including increasing salary, providing appointment letter and identity card, and landing pass for India bound workers.

Sadarghat police OC Md Rezaul Karim Bhuiyan said that launch services of all routes are currently suspended.

“For the last few days, they (workers) were also putting up posters at Sadarghat launch terminal to press home their demands,” he said.

Passengers of Dhaka-Chandpur route, which leaves the terminal during the day, are suffering due to the strike. The strike is likely to affect the passengers of Barisal, Bhola, Pirojpur and other routes, which are scheduled to run at night.

Office Secretary of Bangladesh Shipping Workers Federation, Prakash Dutt, said: “If there is no positive discussion on our problems, the strike will continue.” 

Earlier on Apr 15, the workers had staged strike with the same demands.

Following the strike, the government and the launch owners were given an ultimatum to resolve the problem within 45 working days. The ultimatum ended on Jun 26, without any outcome.

State Minister of Labour and Employment Begum Monnuzan Sufian held a meeting regarding the issue on Jul 15. However, no solution was found.