Chittagong: Goods transport owners and workers went on a 48-hour goods transport strike in greater Chittagong since Sunday morning to press home their 5-point demand, seriously disrupting the movement of inbound and outbound goods-laden vehicles at Chittagong port.

Due to the strike enforced by Greater Chittagong Goods Transport Owners and Workers’ Oikya Parishad, all type of transport vehicles including trucks, covered-vans, pickup vans, trailers and tanks lorries have remained off the roads and highways in Chittagong, Rangamati, Bandarban, Khagrachari and Cox’s Bazar since 6:00am.

The goods transporters announced the programme at a press conference held at Press Club in the port city on Friday.

Jafar Ahmed, convener of the Oikya Parishad, said the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) has set road use tax at Tk 10,000 for each vehicle which was Tk 500 during the tenure of the past mayor.

Extra charges are being taken in the name of monitoring loading, he alleged, adding that police are also taking extortion at different points on the highways.

Their five-point demands include stopping extra charge in the name of axle-load control stations, an end to police ‘harassment’ and withdrawal of illogical Tk 10,000 annual municipality tax on every goods vehicle by the CCC.