An indefinite transport strike in Habiganj has been suspended until Monday (October 5) following assurances from the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners' Association that the disputes over bus operations in Moulvibazar would be addressed.

The strike was launched on Thursday morning in protest against the detention of Habiganj-bound buses, vandalism and assaults on transport workers in Moulvibazar.

The decision to suspend the strike was announced on Thursday late night following a meeting of transport owners and workers at the Habiganj Municipal Bus Terminal.

Md Fazlur Rahman Chowdhury, president of the Habiganj Motor Owners' Group, who chaired the meeting, said Prime Minister's Adviser Shimul Biswas had invited transport leaders from Habiganj to Dhaka on Sunday to discuss the issue.

In response to the invitation, we have decided to suspend the strike until Monday, he said.

Abu Moin Chowdhury Sohel, general secretary of the Habiganj Motor Owners' Group, said transport owners from Habiganj have long operated buses on the Habiganj-Sreemangal-Moulvibazar-Sherpur-Sylhet route.

He alleged that disputes with transport owners and workers in Moulvibazar have repeatedly disrupted the operation of Habiganj buses.

On September 11, around 25 buses from Habiganj were allegedly detained in Moulvibazar and their workers assaulted, he said. Following the incident, bus services on the Habiganj-Sylhet route via Moulvibazar were suspended from September 14.

The district-wide strike began early Thursday, with buses, CNG-run auto-rickshaws and microbuses staying off the roads on both local and long-distance routes, causing considerable suffering to passengers.

Sohel confirmed the suspension of the strike around 11:00pm on Thursday.

He said transport leaders held a meeting at around 8pm before announcing the decision to the media.

A meeting between transport leaders from Habiganj and Moulvibazar will be held at the office of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners' Association in Dhaka at 2pm on Sunday, Sohel said.

The meeting will discuss the disputes between transport owners of the two districts and explore ways to resolve them, he said.

He added that if the issues are not resolved, the transport owners and workers would resume their agitation from October 6.

However, repeated attempts to contact Abdur Rahim Ripon, Moulvibazar District BNP general secretary and president of the Bus Owners' Association, went unanswered.