District Correspondent, Sylhet: The President of the Sylhet District Bus, Minibus, Coach, and Microbus Workers Union, Haji Md. Moynul Islam, and the General Secretary, Abdul Muhim, held a press conference on Saturday (May 17) at a prominent restaurant’s conference hall in Sylhet city. They protested against an ongoing smear campaign against the union’s leaders. They claimed that a defeated faction from the recent elections is spreading false and misleading information on social media and various parts of the city. If this situation persists, they warned, the transport workers may be compelled to take strict action, including strikes.
The leaders revealed that during their three-and-a-half years in office, they have provided financial assistance of BDT 50,000 each to the families of 130 deceased workers, totaling BDT 6.5 million. Additionally, they have purchased a plot of land worth BDT 10 million near Kadamtoli Terminal for the welfare of the workers, which they described as unprecedented in Sylhet’s transport history.
They further alleged that the defeated faction is attempting to tarnish their reputation by falsely associating them with political affiliations. For instance, claims have been made that President Moynul Islam is a primary member of the South Surma Upazila Awami League and General Secretary Abdul Muhim is the Publicity Secretary of the Golapganj Upazila Workers League. The leaders stated these allegations are completely fabricated and baseless, asserting that they have never been involved in Awami League politics.
The leaders also noted that even after the downfall of the oppressive fascist government on August 5, false propaganda continues to circulate about them on Facebook, and posters with misleading information have been put up in various places. This has created unrest among the general transport workers. If the authorities fail to take effective measures, they warned that frustrated workers might resort to a work stoppage, which could spiral out of control.
They highlighted that during the student movement in July-August, while workers indirectly supported the protests, they could not participate directly due to safety concerns. However, on August 5, hundreds of vehicles and workers stayed in the terminal for their safety throughout the day. This incident is now being misrepresented to fuel the smear campaign.
During the press conference, the union leaders called on law enforcement and intelligence agencies to identify and take swift action against those spreading false information.
The leaders emphasized that they have always worked for the interests of Sylhet’s transport workers and will continue to do so. Attempts to divide a united workers’ organization through political propaganda will not succeed.
In his statement, General Secretary Abdul Muhim said that during the oppressive rule of the past fascist government, transport workers, like everyone else, were held hostage. For this reason, they were compelled to sit with Awami government representatives on various occasions to protect the interests of transport workers. Despite this, they maintained cordial relations with all political parties, including BNP and Jamaat, and never made any provocative statements against the opposition parties.
He refuted the allegations as entirely false and baseless, pointing out that photos from the past are being used on platforms like Facebook to spread misinformation. Both the President and the General Secretary categorically denied having any affiliation with Awami League politics and demanded that those responsible for the smear campaign be brought to justice promptly.
The press conference was attended by the President of the Sylhet District Bus, Minibus, Coach, and Microbus Workers Union, Moynul Islam, along with other union leaders.
