Bus, truck, tanker lorry and covered van services across Chapainawabganj were suspended from Thursday morning after members of a transport workers’ union began a work stoppage, leaving passengers stranded and disrupting the movement of goods.
The stoppage began on 20 August amid a longstanding dispute between the Chapainawabganj District Motor Workers’ Union and the District Truck, Tanker Lorry and Covered Van Workers’ Union over the collection of contributions from buses for workers’ welfare-related expenses.
The dispute intensified earlier this week after workers affiliated with the motor workers’ union allegedly assaulted a bus worker on Tuesday. Bus services were suspended for about an hour that night following the incident. Services resumed after union leaders assured workers that the matter would be addressed.
The two organisations later held a meeting under police supervision on Wednesday night in an effort to settle the dispute. However, the talks ended without an agreement, with both sides maintaining their respective positions.
The failure of the negotiations prompted members of the District Truck, Tanker Lorry and Covered Van Workers’ Union to begin a work stoppage on Thursday morning. The action disrupted bus and goods-vehicle services across the district, including both local and long-distance routes.
The disruption also affected traffic on the Chapainawabganj-Rajshahi road. Several buses and trucks were reportedly parked on the roadside after services were suspended, contributing to congestion and making travel more difficult for commuters.
Passengers travelling to Rajshahi were among those facing immediate difficulties. Jahid Hasan, a passenger who had set out for Rajshahi, said he only discovered that bus services had been suspended after reaching the transport area.
He also alleged that some CNG-powered three-wheelers were charging higher fares because of the suspension of bus services. According to him, ordinary passengers were bearing the consequences of a dispute between the workers’ organisations.
Saidur Rahman, president of the District Truck, Tanker Lorry and Covered Van Workers’ Union, alleged that the Chapainawabganj District Motor Workers’ Union had for a long time been collecting contributions by stopping buses on the road. He described the practice as unlawful and said the current work stoppage was intended to protest against it.
The allegation was rejected by Abdur Rauf Julmot, general secretary of the District Motor Workers’ Union. He said his organisation collected contributions from buses in accordance with the applicable rules and for workers’ welfare purposes.
Julmot made a counter-allegation, saying members of the Truck, Tanker Lorry and Covered Van Workers’ Union were collecting contributions not only from trucks, tanker lorries and covered vans but also from buses. He argued that the latter organisation had no authority to collect contributions from buses.
The competing claims have left the dispute centred on which organisation has the authority to collect workers’ welfare contributions from different categories of vehicles. The disagreement has also exposed the difficulty of maintaining uninterrupted transport services when disputes between workers’ organisations remain unresolved.
Additional Superintendent of Police of Chapainawabganj, A.N.M. Wasim Firoz, said police had brought representatives of both organisations together in an attempt to resolve the dispute. However, no settlement could be reached because both sides remained firm in their positions.
Police are continuing efforts to resolve the matter, he said. Both organisations have also been warned that no form of extortion or unauthorised collection of money would be allowed on the roads.
Until the dispute is resolved, the suspension of public and goods transport is likely to continue causing difficulties for commuters and those dependent on road transport for moving goods. The immediate impact has been felt on major routes, particularly the Chapainawabganj-Rajshahi corridor, where the suspension has already contributed to congestion and travel delays.
