Bus services on the Chapainawabganj–Rajshahi–Natore route resumed Tuesday evening after transport workers ended their indefinite strike upon reaching an agreement with owners over revised wages.
The strike, which lasted for 36 hours, had paralyzed long-distance routes, particularly affecting services from Chapainawabganj to Dhaka. The breakthrough came after discussions between transport worker unions and owners in Dhaka, confirmed Saidur Rahman, president of the Chapainawabganj District Truck, Tanker, and Covered Van Workers Union.
Under the revised wage structure drivers will now receive Tk 1,750 per round trip, supervisors will get Tk 750, helpers will receive Tk 650.
Additionally, if there are 31 passengers on board, the value of one seat’s fare will be distributed among the workers. If the bus is fully occupied, two seats’ worth of fare will be shared.
The new pay scale will come into effect from 25 September. Previously, drivers earned Tk 1,350, supervisors Tk 625, and helpers Tk 600 per round trip. However, reports suggest that some dissatisfaction remains among supervisors over the revised structure.
On Tuesday, the second day of the strike, bus terminals in Chapainawabganj saw idle workers and closed ticket counters. Though some counters were open, staff remained largely inactive, awaiting the outcome of negotiations.
Maniruzzaman Babul, district manager of National Travels in Chapainawabganj, said discontent had grown among workers due to wage disparities between different transport companies. “Ekkota Paribahan had already implemented a higher wage structure, so their buses continued operating. This inequality created unrest among workers from other companies,” he noted.
Asaduzzaman Sana, general manager of Grameen Travels, said, “There has been a longstanding disparity in wages among transport workers. After discussions in Dhaka, we’ve agreed on an increased pay structure. As a result, long-distance services are resuming tonight.”
Saidur Rahman, president of the Chapainawabganj District Truck, Tanker, and Covered Van Workers’ Union, confirmed that uncertainty had loomed until Tuesday afternoon about whether transport owners would join discussions. However, with mediation from the workers’ federation, a tripartite meeting involving transport owners and workers’ leaders from Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi, and Natore districts was held in Dhaka.
Following the meeting, workers’ demands were met, and the strike was formally called off.
The strike began on Monday as workers from several major bus services—including Desh Travels, National Travels, Grameen Travels, Hanif, and KTC—went on indefinite work abstention, demanding wage increases. Ekkota Paribahan continued operations during the strike as their staff had already been receiving the new wage rates.
