Dhaka Bureau: There is a strike called by naval workers across the country. It has created a deadlock in the waterway. Passenger and cargo boats are closed. On Monday (November 28), passengers suffered extreme hardships as they did not get a launch at Dhaka river port (Sadarghat).
Similarly, due to the labor strike, the transportation of goods at Chittagong and Mongla ports has been disrupted. The operations of these two ports have practically come to a standstill. Meanwhile, the owners and labor leaders are adamant about the strike. The labor leaders have announced to continue the strike with 10-point demands, including fixing the minimum wage of workers at Tk 20,000.
However, the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Shipping are trying to lift the strike on behalf of the government. The Department of Shipping has called a meeting with boat owners today (Monday).
Commodore Golam Sadek, Chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), said that negotiations are ongoing with the owners and labor leaders. It can easily be solved if both parties make concessions. We hope that the strike will be called off soon.
