A 48-hour transport strike in 21 southern-western districts have been called off following a four-hour meeting between leaders of the Malik Sramik Oikya Parishad and three ministers at the Secretariat yesterday. The Parishad, a platform of vehicle owners and workers, had called a strike on Monday in protest against extortion and violence transporters were subjected to on highways. The convener of the Parishad, Abdul Gaffar Biswas, told reporters after the meeting that they withdrew the strike as the talks were fruitful. “The government has accepted our 12-point demands and promised to implement them,” he said. Shipping minister Sajahan Khan, also the executive president of the Bangladesh Road Transport Workers' Federation, said the Parishad leaders called off the strike on the basis of an agreement reached with them. Emerging from the meeting, home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told reporters that overloaded trucks will not be allow on
roads. “We heard that some people were collecting illegal toll, but we have no evidence. We will take stern action against such illegal toll collectors after getting evidence,” he said. The strike, which was called to press for its 12-point charter of demands,  began early on Monday in protest against extortion, harassment and violence suffered by its members. The demands included putting a halt to extortion, stopping mismanagement at ferry terminals, ending harassment in the name of checking papers, providing driving licence after giving necessary training and cutting oil prices.