Sylhet Live: Sylhet district bus owners have called a 24-hour strike from November 19, on the day of BNP’s divisional rally in the district, demanding a ban on the movement of illegal three-wheelers and battery-driven auto-rickshaws on highways.

The strike will begin at 6:00 am on November 19 and end at 6:00 am on November 20, said Sylhet District Bus Owners Association General Secretary Ziaul Kabir Palash on Wednesday.

“The strike has nothing to do with the BNP rally, it is called as part of a pre-announced program,” he said.

He said a letter was sent to the Divisional Commissioner seeking a ban on the movement of illegal three-wheelers and battery-driven auto-rickshaws on highways and installing cage-like protection on the CNG-run-auto rickshaws.

They were forced to go on strike as they did not get any positive response from the administration regarding their demands, the transport leader added.

Meanwhile, Sylhet District Road Transport Workers Union President Mainul Haque said they do not support the strike. “We don’t want to thwart any party program. Workers are with everyone.”

Sylhet district BNP president Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury said the government forced the transport owners to call the strike to disrupt the BNP rally.

“But no conspiracy can stop the mass gathering,” said the BNP leader. BNP will hold its seventh divisional rally at Sylhet Govt Alia Madrasa on Saturday (November 19).

Apprehending the transport strike ahead of the rally like the previous ones, the leaders and activists of Sadar Upazila have already been asked to come to the city a few days earlier. The same instruction was given to the upazila-level leaders and activists of the party.

As part of the move to continue the pace of its ongoing movement, the BNP on September 27 announced a series of public rallies in 10 divisional and big cities.

BNP will conclude the divisional rallies through a mass gathering in Dhaka city on December 10.