Commuters suffer as metro service suspended over work stoppage

Passengers express their grievances over movements holding people hostage

Commuters are suffering as a work stoppage by the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) staff led to the shutdown of metro rail services.

The unannounced closure of the service prompted many people to change their plan, returning home from metro stations, while others expressed their annoyance at the development.

“I have a private tutoring schedule to keep. I need to go to Mirpur,” said Raisul Islam, who studies in the social science department at Dhaka University.

Raisul was speaking at 4:45pm at the metro rail entrance next to Suhrawardy Udyan.

He feared the suspension of the service would result in traffic congestion, implying he could not reach his destination at 5:30pm.

“It cannot go on like this. Making people suffer this way,” he said.

Another passenger Farhad Alam had come to the Dhaka University area to attend a meeting from Diabari in Uttara.

“I am in big trouble. Travelling all the way back home by bus means spending hours stuck in traffic,” he said.

Metro rail service stopped after staff launched a full-scale work stoppage at 3pm, shortly before the service was supposed to start.

The protest began as authorities failed to meet a deadline to formulate an independent employment policy, according to the demonstrators.

Employees have been staging a sit-in outside the DMTCL headquarters. They also blocked access to the office of Managing Director Faruque Ahmed, effectively confining him inside, after his attempt to negotiate with the demonstrators failed.

A large number of Army personnel have been seen deployed at the DMTCL office.