The Bangladesh Noujan Sramik Federation has announced an indefinite strike of all goods carrying water transport starting at 12:01am on December 27 demanding arrest of the killers of seven crew members of MV Al-Bakhera, a fertiliser-carrying vessel, who were killed in an attack on the Meghna River in Chandpur.
The federation alleged that the government had not taken effective measures to curb violence, extortion, and robbery on the country鈥檚 waterways.聽
The federation鈥檚 president, Shah Alam, and general secretary, Chowdhury Ashikul Alam, announced the strike in a joint statement on Thursday, calling on the government to provide Tk 20 lakh in compensation to the family of each worker.
Considering the potential suffering of the general public, however, all passenger vessels will remain outside the purview of the strike for the time being, the statement said.
The federation announced the strike to press home its demand for arresting and bringing the killers of seven crew members of the MV Al-Bakhera to justice and the organisation urged workers of all types of cargo vessels including freighters, oil-gas carriers, and sand carriers to start a continuous strike and make it successful until their demands are met.
The Federation also strongly urged all boat workers and leaders of affiliated unions and branches to join in and ensure the success of the strike.
Seven crew members of the MV Al-Bakhera were brutally killed while they were asleep by assailants on the Meghna River in Chandpur.
Seven crew members of the MV Al-Bakhera were fatally stabbed and killed while they were asleep by assailants during a brutal attack on the Meghna River in Chandpur on Monday.
