Editorial
Transport strike paralyses economy
Address their security concerns
The 48-hour long strike called and enforced by the Bangladesh Truck-Covered Van Transport Agency Malik Sramik Oikya Parishad effectively shut down movement of eighty per cent of all goods in the country. But then, it was not altogether surprising that the transport association went on strike to drive home their demands of greater security on the highways of the country. The increasing lawlessness due to banditry and the cries for assistance of those involved in transportation of goods have gone unheeded for too long.
It is not robbery alone that worries truckers. Increasingly, drivers and helpers are being killed by armed miscreants preying on heavily-laden vehicles plying the all important Dhaka-Chittagong highway. With such incidents occurring at fairly regular intervals failing to raise the eyebrows of both authorities and law enforcers, an extreme reaction is only courted. But whether sufficient notice has been given by the concerned association is a matter of public interest.
What is perhaps even more alarming is that the platform of truckers and van operators has demanded an end to the alleged extortion of illegal toll money being collected by law enforcers themselves. It is precisely this sort of negativity that smears our image because the custodians of law are being themselves purveyors of lawlessness.
The fact that numerous chambers of commerce have repeatedly tried to address the multifarious problems transporters are facing, the ministry of home affairs has over the years failed to take steps to properly address the security issue. Obviously the country cannot afford to have transport agencies shut down the vital links within the country since everything from the import of building materials to the crucial export of apparel items needs to be ferried by the road network. Yet, when one is confronted by news that a covered van is hijacked in the middle of the capital with one employee shot dead on July 11, it is hardly a wonder that truckers have reacted the way they have. This lack of law enforcement has gone on for far too long and it is imperative that authorities shake off their collective somnolence and do something for the collective good by engaging the truckers in a meaningful dialogue.
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