Transport owners threaten 72-hour strike over 8-point demands

The Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association has threatened to launch a 72-hour nationwide transport strike starting Tuesday (August 12), if the government fails to meet its eight-point list of demands, including amendments to the Road Transport Act 2018.

The announcement was made by Association President Kafil Uddin Ahmed on Thursday night (August 7).

He said the organization has already presented its demands to the Prime Minister's Communication Adviser and received partial assurances, but insists that all points must be addressed by Monday afternoon (August 11) to avoid industrial action.

The proposed strike would begin at 6.00am on August 12 and continue until 6.00am on August 15. If unmet, the association warned that protests would intensify and the strike would be extended.

A key demand is the amendment of Sections 98 and 105 of the Road Transport Act 2018, which currently deny drivers bail in the event of an accident and impose strict penalties, including a five-year prison sentence and a fine of Tk 5,00,000. The association argues that bail is a fundamental civil right and should be left to the discretion of the court.

Other major concerns include the lifespan of commercial vehicles. Transport owners claim that enforcing a 20–25-year operational limit would remove 80 percent of vehicles from service. They demand that fit vehicles, regardless of age, be allowed to operate.

The Eight Key Demands include amend Sections 98 and 105 of the Road Transport Act 2018 to allow bail for drivers in accident cases; Extend the operational lifespan of commercial vehicles to 30 years; Suspend the campaign against older vehicles until the policy is revised; Reduce double advance income tax on commercial vehicles to previous levels; Extend the import age limit for reconditioned commercial vehicles from 5 to 12 years; Ensure return of accident-damaged vehicles to owners within 72 hours; Formulate a scrap policy for expired vehicles; Create separate lanes for three-wheelers and unregistered light vehicles on highways.

The association also called for faster driving license renewals and full implementation of the 12-point charter of the Workers' Federation.