Transport Strike in Sylhet: People’s sufferings end after 62 hours

With 10 hours remaining in the clock, the 72-hour transport strike in Sylhet demanding permission to resume stone extraction was called off at around 8pm yesterday.

The strike, enforced from Tuesday 6am, was called by Greater Sylhet Stone-related Traders-Workers Union and was supposed to end at 6am today (Friday).

With the decision to end it earlier, the inconvenience caused to commuters of Sylhet division came to an end.

Abu Sarkar, president of Sylhet District Truck, Pickup-Covered Van Workers union, said, "The administration did not meet our demand. But considering the sufferings of people who are about to come to the Shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal tomorrow, we called off the strike hours early."

Earlier on Wednesday, ten noted citizens issued a statement terming the transport strike a "Contempt of Court".

The strike was called with the demand that the authorities open stone quarries in four upazilas of Sylhet. These have been closed following several orders of High Court and the government's decision to protect the environment of Sylhet.

In the statement, the noted citizens said that arranging, participating and supporting any programme against any court directive and judgement is tantamount to contempt of court and the reluctance of responsible authorities against such contempt is a matter of grave concern.

The citizens also expressed grave concern over the administration's ineffective measures against the transport strike.

They also urged government and political high-ups to take necessary steps to protect environment and public interest.

The signatories of the statement include: Advocate Shah Shaheda Akhter, divisional coordinator of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela); Faruque Mahmud Chowdhury, president of Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Sujon) Sylhet chapter; Advocate Emad Ullah Shahidul Islam Shahin, former president of Sylhet District Bar Association; Iqbal Siddiqui, president of Sylhet Press Club; Advocate Irfanuzzaman Chowdhury, coordinator of BLAST in Sylhet; Somik Shahid Jahan, president of Sachetan Nagorik Committee (Sonak) Sylhet chapter; Nazmul Haque, executive director of IDEA; Advocate Syeda Shirin Akther, coordinator of National Women Lawyers Association's Sylhet chapter; AK Sheram, president of Manipuri Cultural Association; and Abdul Karim Kim, general secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa) Sylhet chapter.

However, denying the allegation, Abdul Jalil, convenor of the union that called in the strike, said, "The court judgements are to stop stone extraction using machines, but allowed extracting stones manually. The administration stopped all kind of stone extraction following an order of Bureau of Mining Development (BMD)."

"We are demanding to allow us to extract stone manually and that's no way contempt of court," he said.

Even though he said that they are demanding permission for manual extraction, several environmental activists in Sylhet said that the stone traders always extract stones using machines denying the HC order.

Abdul Karim Kim, general secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa) in Sylhet, said, "They never undertake manual extraction and that's the reason behind environmental destruction of these areas. Even though they are now speaking of manual extraction, once they are given permission, they will get back to extracting with machines."

Md Mashiur Rahman, divisional commissioner of Sylhet, said, "As this is not directly a contempt of court, we are not being able to take legal measures. Yet, we tried to convince them that the decision came from the high-ups of the government and they still have their way to fight it with in the legal system."