<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>A goods transport strike is underway in Sylhet district for the second consecutive day demanding resumption of stone extraction from quarries.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Goods transportation to wholesale and retail markets have been adversely affected following the strike.</div><div><br></div><div>The 48- hour strike, enforced by Sylhet truck, pickup, covered van malik-sramik pikya parishad, began at 6 am on Monday and will continue until 6 am on Wednesday.</div><div><br></div><div>Sabbir Ahmed Foyez, organising secretary of Sylhet truck, pickup, covered van malik-sramik oikya parishad, said, “Our workers are observing the strike peacefully.”</div><div><br></div><div>He said, "We had a meeting with the district administration and they said that a committee has been formed by the Ministry of Mineral Resources to examine the demand for stone extraction".</div><div><br></div><div>A delegation of the ministry will visit the site on November 3 and will take the next decision based on the report of the committee, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>So, the strike might be called off at midnight instead of 6 am on Wednesday, he further said.</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier on Sunday (October 30) afternoon, a meeting of goods transport workers’ leaders was held at the deputy commissioner’s office but no solution came from the meeting.</div><div><br></div><div>On Sunday, the goods transport owners decided to go on strike, demanding withdrawal of a ban on stone extraction and reopening of stone quarries in the district’s Jaflong, Bichanakandi and Bholaganj.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the transport workers and owners, a total of 15 lakh people are directly involved in the stone business in Sylhet.</div><div><br></div><div>Transport workers said stones from the quarries had long been transported across the country since the country's independence but a government ban for the last five years has had an adverse impact on the freight transport owners. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>