Autorickshaw owners threaten strike

Owners of CNG-driven autorickshaws have threatened to call a three-day strike in Dhaka from Tuesday. They issued the threat on Saturday, days after the Bangladesh CNG Filling Station and Conversion Workshop Owners Association made a similar threat. Dhaka Metropolitan CNG Autorickshaw Owners Association from a human-chain programme on Saturday announced to go on a strike from Tuesday if validity of autorickshaws is not extended by 15 years by Monday. The organisation urged the government to take a call on the issue by Monday. Member Secretary ATM Nazmul Hasan told bdnews24.com: “This time the government will not be able to trick us to withdraw our strike, like they did before.” It was a fair demand to extend the economic life of nearly 13,000 autorickshaws plying on the streets of Dhaka City, he said.