A 72-hour transport strike will begin in Sylhet division on November 14 if the 20-point demand of transport owners is not met by the district authorities by November 13.

This was announced by Shahjahan Khan MP, leader of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Malik Oikya Parishad, at a rally of transport owners and workers in the city Saturday night.

The demands include withdrawal of BRTC service from Sylhet-Tamabil route.

A countrywide indefinite transport strike will begin on December 20 to realize the demands, he said.

He alleged that transport workers

and owners are being "neglected" by the present government.

The communication sector is in "great crisis" due to its faulty policy.

He also alleged that the communication minister failed to keep his commitments made with transport owners and workers.

The Sylhet district administration also breached its commitments with transport owners and workers, he alleged.

Nobody had any objection to the plying of BRTC buses in Sylhet city. But the authorities are trying to ply BRTC buses in different upazila routes also.

"We will not accept this (BRTC buses on upazila routes)", he said.

Over 300 transport workers will lose

jobs and bus owners will be badly hit if BRTC buses ply on Sylhet-Tamabil road, he said.

Shahjahan Khan MP also protested illegal toll collection from stonecarrying trucks on Sylhet-Tamabil Road by some influential quarters. He demanded immediate end to this.

Other speakers at the rally said the Divisional Commissioner and political leaders in Sylhet at several meetings said "legitimate demands" of transport owners would be met, but nothing has been done.

Earlier, to stop a planned transport strike in Sylhet, district BNP Secretary Ariful Haque Chowdhury gave a written assurance that BRTC buses would be withdrawn from Sylhet

Tamabil road.

Instead, four more buses have been pressed into service on the route, the speakers said.

Meanwhile, people of Jaintapur, Gowainghat and Kanaughat upazilas continued boycott of private buses and minibuses for the 28th day yesterday as private bus owners and workers compelled the authorities to suspend plying of BRTC buses on the Sylhet-Tamabil route.

The people started the boycott at the call of Brihattar Jainta Samannaya Samity, a forum of people of the three upazilas.

It will announce a fresh agitation programme today (Monday) at a rally.