Transport strike in Chuadanga as bus driver jailed

Chuadanga Correspondent: Transport workers have announced an indefinite strike across Chuadanga district in protest of sentencing life-term imprisonment to a bus driver in the case filed for noted filmmaker Tareque Masud and journalist Mishuk Munier's death in road accident in Manikganj.

Chuadanga District Bus-Truck Workers Union announced the strike after A Manikganj court sentenced Jamir Uddin, bus driver, to life imprisonment on Wednesday noon.

Just after the verdict, transport workers took positions at different places in the district town and stopped vehicle movement immediately.

Agitated workers set tyres on fire and lay on different roads to block vehicle movement.

Later, the transport workers union announced the indefinite strike through loud speaker.

Shahidur Rahman, assistant secretary of the district bus-truck workers union, said aggrieved workers enforced an indefinite transport strike for all routes in the district.

Later, leaders of owners and workers union will also declare tougher activities, he said.

Noted filmmaker Tareque Masud, media personality Ashfaque Munier Mishuk popularly known as Mishuk Munier, and their film production crew -- Wasim, Jamal and microbus driver Mostafizur Rahman -- died in a fatal road crash on the Dhaka-Aricha highway at Joka under Ghior upazila in the district on August 13, 2011.

Tareque's wife Catherine Masud, painter Dhali Al Mamun, his wife Dilara Zaman Jolly and film production staff Saidul Islam were injured in the accident.

The team was on its way to meet the Manikganj deputy commissioner for permission to shoot for Tareque's film project “Kagojer Phool” after visiting shooting spot at Saljana village in Shibalaya upazila.

A Chuadanga-bound bus from Dhaka collided with the microbus travelling to Manikganj town at about 12:15pm.

Sub-inspector of Ghior Police Station Md Lutfar Rahman filed a case the same day against the bus driver. DB police arrested Jamir from his relative's house in Gangni upazila of Meherpur district on August 15, two days after filing of the case.

Investigating officer (IO) of the case, then officer-in-charge of Ghior Police Station, Ashraf-Ul-Islam submitted charge sheet against the accused driver before the Chief Judicial Magistrate's court on March 22, 2012.

risingbd/Chuadanga/Feb 22, 2017/Jisan Ahmed/A K Azad