Work resumes at Sunamganj quarry as strike called off

12 October 2009, 17:00 PM

Staff Correspondent, Sylhet

Collection of sand and stones resumed in Fazilpur quarry under bordering Tahirpur upazila of Sunamganj district yesterday after 10 days of strike enforced by sand and stone traders in protest against extortion. Leaders of the traders' organisations decided to withdraw their strike after Sunamganj deputy commissioner on Sunday evening assured them of taking action against illegal toll collectors. Tahirpur upazila nirbahi officer and two executive magistrates along with a team of police and BDR members on speedboats went to the area to monitor the situation. Steps are being taken to collect government revenue properly and stop illegal toll collection, said the officials. Movement of all kinds of boats also remained suspended since October 3 as Fazilpur Sand and Stone Traders Association, Rakti Nodi Nou Paribahan Samity, Jadukata Nodi Barki Sramik Kalyan Samity and Durlobpur Bali-Pathor Byabosayee Sangstha enforced the strike in protest against illegal toll collection by some organised groups. The groups, involved in illegal toll collection at five points, claimed themselves as men of two ruling party lawmakers, said several traders. About 30 thousand labourers went jobless as extraction of sand and stone from the huge quarries remained suspended while no boat plied on the 23-kilometre long river due to the strike. Earlier on October 3, traders and labourers formed a human chain and held a protest rally protesting the indiscriminate extortion. They also gathered in front of Sunamganj deputy commissioner's office and handed over a memo to him on October 6. At a protest rally on Friday, leaders of the traders' organisations demanded immediate withdrawal of a 'false' case filed against them.