CHITTAGONG: Shipping minister Shahjahan Khan reached the port city on Sunday morning to solve the issues beyond the countrywide indefinite vessel strike.

Earlier, water transport workers enforced the non-stop strike on Saturday morning.

Sources told banglanews that the workers, from 6:00am Saturday, suspended loading and unloading operations at all the ports including Chittagong demanding security measures on waterways.

On the other hand, water transports had also been halted from that morning, sources added.

However, water transport workers enforced the strike following a robbery in a lighter vessel named ‘Karnaphuli’ at Battir Khal area of Laxmipur Friday night.

Moreover, seven workers and crew of the vessel are reportedly missing since the robbery.

However, confirming the matter, Bangladesh Noujan Shramik Federation joint secretary Khorshed Alam said that the strike is underway as neither the government nor local administration called them to discuss the issues.

Earlier, he claimed that police is not looking into the matter though the vessel workers are being victims of harassment including robbery one after another on the way.

“They don’t even let us to file general diary,” he added.

Nevertheless, the workers, in this regard, also demanded prime minister’s intervention.

BDST: 1200 HRS, NOV 09, 2014