Water transport workers call off strike after 45 hrs

The water transport workers called off their strike, which was initiated to seek justice for the murder of seven sailors on a lighter ship in Chandpur, after receiving assurances from the government and a plea from the Directorate General of Shipping.

The indefinite strike, which began at midnight on Thursday (26 December), was called off on Saturday night following productive discussions between labor leaders and government officials. Nabi Alam, Joint Secretary of the Water Transport Workers' Federation, confirmed the matter.

He said, "The workers have already resumed their duties. By Sunday morning (December 29), cargo loading and unloading from lighter vessels at the outer anchorage of Chattogram port were back in full swing."

According to the Bangladesh Water Transport Coordination Cell (BWTCC), 738 cargo ships carrying over 1 million tons of goods were left idle at 57 jetties nationwide during the strike. However, operations have since normalized, and the ships have resumed movement.