Transport, quarry workers go on strike for repair of Sylhet highway

Demanding a prompt re-construction of the Sylhet-Companiganj-Bholaganj Road, eleven organisations yesterday started a strike for an indefinite period and blocked important points of the road.

The organisations are Sylhet District Truck Covered Van Shramik Union, District Truck Covered Van Owners Group, Chhalia Sobuj Bangla Owners Samity, Rongitila Somaj Kollayan Sangstha, Godhuly Somaj Kollayan Sangstha, Salutikor-Companiganj-Goainghat Bus Owners Samity, Ambarkhana-Salutikor-Companiganj CNG Autorickshaw Shramik Union, Dhopagul Stone Bussiness Owners Samity, Salutikor Stone Bussiness Owners Samity and Khadimnagar Chhatra Kallayan Sangstha.

They also called to lay siege to the Sylhet office of Roads and Highways Department (RHD) on Friday.

Locals said even transports carrying medicine could not pass the blockades. The situation could turn for the worse if the strike continues, they feared.

Sylhet-Companiganj-Bholaganj Road played an important role in transporting stones and sands from the country's biggest stone quarry at Bholaganj; it was also used by thousands of stone carrying trucks everyday, said locals, adding that they were also suffering as the road had almost become useless for lack of maintenance.

"We just need to know when the work will start," said Iqbal Ahmed, general secretary of Salutikor-Companiganj-Goainghat Bus Owners Samity.

According to the RHD, Ecnec sanctioned TK 441.54cr on April 7 last year to upgrade the "Airport Bypass Intersection-Lalbag-Shalutikor-Companiganj-Bholaganj" from district road to highway and the prime minister laid the project foundation stone on October 8.

Five months have passed; the rainy season is approaching and still the administration is indifferent, alleged locals.

They quoted Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader as saying at a press briefing in Sylhet on November 21 last year that the construction would start on February 1.

"We've forwarded papers to the department on February 16. We hope to start soon. The time limit is 34 months and we expect to meet the deadline once the work started," said Iftekhar Kabir, additional chief engineer of RHD Sylhet.