River transport workers on Wednesday went on strike for an indefinite period halting river communications and transport goods on waterways across the country.
Thousands of motor launch passengers got stranded at terminals and the offloading and transport of goods remained suspended at seaports in Chittagong and Khulna and jetties in the River Karnaphuli in Chittagong because of the strike that began midnight past Tuesday.
River communications across the country, including on 38 routes in the south, were disrupted with passengers being stranded as no vessels left the terminals. A Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority official, however, said that a few vessels had left Sadarghat on the day.
The River Transport Workers Federation general secretary, Chowdhury Ashiqul Alam, said some owners had run their vessels with unskilled workers. He said that such owners were putting passengers at risk as workers were running the vessels were not trained, he said.
Ashiqul alleged that the police had arrested two workers at Sadarghat Tuesday night in a bid to foil the strike. He, however, said that the strike would continue until their demands were met.
The demands include a wage structure commensurate with price spiral, appointment letters and service books, contributory provident funds, eight-hour workday, an end to harassment by marine courts, landing passes for workers on board India-bound ships, security on waterway and end an to extortion and robbery, navigability of rivers, and withdrawal of all cases filed in connection with river transport strikes.
As thousands of passengers got stranded at launch terminals in the morning, some of them started for their destinations by road.
Engine-driven boats and trawlers carried some of the passengers on risky river routes in the south. Buses left for destinations overloaded.
The New Age correspondent in Barisal said that no vessels but steamers run by the BIWTA, had left the port on the day.
Master Ekin Ali, president of the Barisal unit of the federation, said that no river transport would leave the port until their demands were met.
Engine-driven boats and trawlers carrying passengers for high fares. Buses running on local and long routes were overcrowded. Tickets for long-route destinations were sold on the black market.
In Khulna, the loading of goods and the unloading from foreign ships at Mongla and transport of imported goods remained suspended.
According to central committee joint secretary of the federation, Abul Kashem Master, more than 200 cargo vessels and coasters were lying idle in the channels of the River Pashur and in port areas.
Vessels laden with goods such as food grains, cement clinkers, fuel, urea, wheat, salt and sugar bound for different destinations at home and abroad were stayed idle in jetties in the River Karnaphuli and in the outer anchorage of Chittagong Port.
Khorshed Alam, joint secretary of the Bangladesh River Transport Workers’ Federation, told New Age that more than 600 lighter vessels, trawlers, tankers anchored in 16 jetties of the River Karnaphuli had suspended activities of goods transport.
Shipping Agents’ Association officials said that they had incurred losses because of the strike and it would impact prices of goods.
Courtesy of New Age
