A 48-hour strike by Dinajpur Truck Owners Association, which started yesterday, stranded at least 500 goods laden trucks from different districts on the Dinajpur highway.

Outgoing and incoming trucks and oil tankers at Thakurgaon and Panchagarh were also stranded due to the strike.

Dinajpur Tank-lorry Owners

Association also went into a 48-hour strike from yesterday expressing solidarity with the truck owners protesting rampant hijacking of rice laden trucks and killings of at least two persons in Dinajpur in the last eleven days.

Due to the strike at least 500 trucks loaded with various commodities including oil tankers were stranded on the side of the highway.

Barapukuria power plant, Hili landport, Biral landport and other organisations also did not operate their trucks or oil tankers.

On March 25 at a news briefing in Dinajpur Press Club, Dinajpur Truck Owners Association announced a 10-point charter of demands and gave a seven-day deadline to the authorities concerned to take effective measures. The demands include measures against random hijacking of goods laden trucks. The deadline ended on Sunday.

At the briefing the truck owners alleged that the transport industry of greater Dinajpur is facing severe threat due to frequent hijacking of vehicles. At least 15 goods laden trucks have been hijacked in the last three years, most of which have yet to be recovered. The hijackers also killed at least four truck drivers and helpers during the period, they said.

Shaidul Islam, president of Dinajpur Truck Owners Association also warned the authorities concerned of a greater movement if their demands were not met. Dinajpur police recovered one of the hijacked trucks along with decomposed bodies of a driver and a helper from Birganj upazila on March 26. The truck was hijacked on March 24, police sources said. The police have yet to arrest anyonein this connection.

Hamidur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Dinajpur police station said they are trying hard to recover the missing trucks.