The Ambulance Owner Welfare Association has withdrawn its prescheduled nationwide indefinite strike of ambulances and freezer vans after receiving assurances from the government that its demands would be addressed. The announcement was made by the association's leaders at an emergency press briefing held at the MP Hostel in Dhaka.
The briefing was attended by lawmaker Advocate Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) Chairman Md Habibur Rahman, Health Services Division Secretary Md Kamruzzaman, and representatives of the police. Earlier, a meeting involving all stakeholders was held under the leadership of Advocate Shimul, focusing on the association's five-point demand.
Following constructive discussions, it was agreed that the issues would be resolved within the next 30 days through consultations with the relevant authorities. Chief Adviser of the Ambulance Owner Welfare Association Mohammad Golam Mostofa Fuad said the government had assured the organization that its demands would be considered within the stipulated timeframe, prompting the withdrawal of the strike.
Fuad urged ambulance owners and drivers across the country to continue providing emergency services without disrupting public life. He also urged the government to give priority to the association's demands, which include enforcing commercial registration regulations for ambulances operating on hire, implementing the High Court's directive to ensure toll-free movement of government ambulances, exempting freezer vans and ambulances carrying dead bodies from tolls, and ensuring 24-hour fuel availability to maintain uninterrupted emergency ambulance services.
The withdrawal of the strike is significant for Bangladesh, as it ensures the continuation of essential emergency services and avoids potential public suffering during a critical time.
