DHAKA, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Trucks resumed services across Bangladesh on Tuesday night as the truckers' union called off their ongoing indefinite strike.
The strike was withdrawn after Bangladeshi Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal held an emergency meeting with representatives of the union of truck owners and drivers on Tuesday afternoon.
Emerging from the meeting, Md Mokbul Ahmad, a leader of the truckers, told journalists that they decided to withdraw the strike after having a discussion with the minister and relevant officials.
He also urged the truckers to return to work, citing "assurances from the government to meet their 7-point demand."
The truckers demand amendments to the recently enacted "Road Transport Act 2018" with provisions for stringent punishment to the traffic offenders.
Transportation services were severely affected in the country as the nationwide indefinite strike by truckers entered the third day on Tuesday.
Ahmad said they are demanding amendments, not abolition of the Road Transport Act 2018 that was passed in parliament last month.
The act, which now awaits presidential approval before it becomes law, stipulates that the traffic offenders will risk being sentenced up to 5 years in non-bailable jail or a fine of 500,000 taka (5,913 U.S. dollar) or both.
