Transport Strike Begins in Sylhet Demanding Reopening of Stone Quarries

An indefinite transport strike began in Sylhet on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at 6:00 AM, demanding the reopening of closed stone quarries and other six-point demands. Called by the District Road Transport Owners and Workers’ Unity Council, no long-distance buses left Sylhet or entered the central bus terminal by 8:00 AM.

However, CNG-powered auto-rickshaws and motorcycles were operating within the city, though auto-rickshaws were fewer in number. Some private cars and microbuses were also seen moving within the city. According to Sylhet Railway Station sources, train services remained normal. At 7:30 AM, the Kalni Express departed for Sylhetown on schedule. Station Manager Nurul Islam said passenger numbers were normal with no significant crowd.

**Six-Point Demands:** 1. Withdrawal of the suspension order on leasing Sylhet’s stone quarries and reopening them using traditional methods. 2. Cancellation of the requirement for contractor clearance in vehicle fitness certification by BRTA. 3. Withdrawal of additional taxes imposed on public transport. 4. Halt disconnection of electricity to crusher mills, return of meters, and compensation for damages. 5. Removal of Sylhet’s Deputy Commissioner, Mohammad Sher Mahbub Murad. 6. Stop harassment of drivers of sand, stone, and other goods-carrying vehicles. The strike was announced at a press conference held on Monday evening at a restaurant in the Barutkhana area. Earlier, on Wednesday, a protest rally at Dhaka’s Court Point had also declared the strike. The council stated that vehicles carrying essential services would be exempt from the strike. At the rally, former Sylhet City Corporation Mayor and BNP Chairperson’s Adviser Ariful Haque Chowdhury called the Deputy Commissioner “incompetent and inefficient,” demanding his resignation, but also opposed stone extraction that harms the environment. Since last Monday, goods transport owners and workers have been observing a separate strike with five-point demands. However, a section of transport owners aligned with Jamaat-e-Islami and the Sylhet District CNG Auto-Rickshaw, Auto-Tempo, and Taxi Owners’ Association have not joined the strike.

Moynul Islam, President of the Sylhet District Road Transport Bus, Minibus, Coach, and Microbus Workers’ Union, said, “Transport workers have spontaneously joined the strike. Since 2018, all stone quarries in Sylhet have been closed, leaving lakhs of people jobless. Despite repeated demands, we faced oppression under the previous government, and that continues. The strike will continue until our demands are met.”