Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation (BRTWF) simultaneously enforces an indefinite transport strike across the country beginning today. The strike came hot on the heels of a two-day strike called by a section of the pro-BNP transport workers leaders.

The top leaders of the 14-party comprising the main opposition Awami League (AL), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), left 11-party alliance and National Awami Party (NAP) declared the shutdown from Tuesday's rally at Paltan Maidan.

To drum up support for today's hartal, the 14-party yesterday brought out processions and staged demonstrations in the city and other parts of the country. AL General Secretary and Coordinator of the opposition combine Abdul Jalil urged people to make the hartal a success.

Ambulances, newspaper vehicles, drug stores, garbage carrying vehicles and other emergency vehicles will remain outside the purview of the 6:00am to 6:00pm shutdown.

The government will deploy around 5,000 police, BDR, Rab and Ansar personnel in the capital to prevent any untoward incident.

The opposition combine has declared a series of agitation programmes for the next two months to press home their demands that include reforms in the caretaker government system and the Election Commission for a free, fair and neutral election.

They also threatened to go for indefinite hartals and other tougher programmes if the BNP-Jamaat alliance government stay in power without realising their demands.

FRESH TRANSPORT STRIKE
Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation called the transport strike from today demanding realisation of their three-point demands that include stopping extortion on the highways, harassment of the transport workers, random requisition of vehicles and introduction of weighing system for the overloaded trucks.

Some leaders of the pro-BNP North Bengal Transport Workers Federation earlier enforced the nationwide transport strike on Monday and Tuesday demanding release of their leader Mujibur Rahman. The strike was withdrawn Tuesday evening shortly after the opposition's grand rally ended. Mujibur was released on bail on the same night.

Meanwhile, a section of transport workers yesterday enforced a strike in Dinajpur district protesting the release of Mujibur Rahman.

Farhad Hossain Chowdhury, general secretary of Dinajpur Motor Transport Group, threatened to launch a tougher action programme if Mujibur is not punished.