Advocate Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, coordinator of the Nationalist Workers’ Party and a leading voice in the transport movement, confirmed the suspension of the strike, stating, “We’ve decided to trust the government’s commitment to address our concerns through dialogue.”

Senior officials including Dr. Sheikh Moin Uddin, Senior Secretary Ehchanul Haque, and Saiful Alam, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, attended the meeting alongside leaders from major transport federations.

The transport sector’s charter includes a mix of regulatory, financial, and operational reforms include amend Sections 98 and 105 of the Road Transport Act 2018, extend economic lifespan of commercial vehicles to30 years, suspend BRTA enforcement actions against older vehicles during policy review, reduce the recently increased advance income tax to previous levels, raise the import age limit for reconditioned vehicles from 5 to 12 years, mandate release of accident-involved vehicles from police custody within 72 hours, introduce a national scrap policy for decommissioned vehicles, designate separate highway lanes for three-wheelers and unapproved light vehicles and accelerate issuance and renewal of driving licenses and fulfill 12 outstanding demands from the transport workers’ federation.

The strike threat was first declared on July 27 at a press conference held at the National Press Club, with leaders warning of a complete transport shutdown if the government failed to respond by August 11.

With the government now pledging a structured review and continued engagement, the transport alliance has suspended the strike to allow space for negotiation—emphasizing their preference for peaceful resolution over public hardship.

While no immediate policy changes have been announced, the understanding reached signals a willingness from both sides to find common ground. The transport leaders have urged the authorities to follow through swiftly and transparently.