Transport sector suffers Tk 300 bln loss
Staff Correspondent, bdnews24.com
Published: 2014-01-16 14:23:58.0 BdST Updated: 2014-01-16 14:25:38.0 BdST
Bangladesh's transport sector has suffered losses of around Tk 300 billion in last year's political violence, two transport owners' associations say.
At least 55 transport workers have died in arson and bombings in 2013, they say.
Leaders of Bus-Truck Owners Association and Bangladesh Road Transport Association disclosed the details in a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Thursday.
They demanded that Bangladesh Bank should waive interest on loans of bankrupt transport owners and reschedule their loan accounts.
BRTC Association's Secretary General Enayetullah said at least 1,000 buses, minibuses, covered vans and trucks were burnt down and 3,500 vehicles were damaged from Oct 2012 to Oct 2013, inflicting a loss of Tk around 1.3 billion on transport owners.
Transport owners had to suffer losses of around Tk 3 billion per day as services remain suspended due to strikes and blockade.
In one year, the losses have piled to a cumulative Tk 300 billion.
They, however, did not provide the source of their statistics or how the computations were arrived at.
Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir unleashed violence in many parts of the country, including capital Dhaka, since the end of 2012 to block the trial of war criminals.
The violence later intensified over the Jan 5 national polls.
People were severely affected due to shutdown and blockades enforced last year.
Transport sector suffers Tk 300 bln loss: http://bdnews24.com/business/2014/01/16/transport-sector-suffers-tk-300-bln-loss
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