Temporary rail workers block tracks in Tejgaon, train service to Kamalapur halted

Train service resumes after protesting railway workers clear tracks in Dhaka's Tejgaon

The protest for five months of back pay halted train operations between Kamalapur and the rest of the country for over two hours

Senior Correspondent,

Temporary railway workers, who blocked the FDC crossing in Dhaka demanding unpaid wages, have ended their protest after two hours.

Rail links between Kamalapur and the rest of the country were subsequently restored at 12:45pm on Tuesday.

“Train operations have returned to normal. A train left Kamalapur at 12:50pm,” said Kamalapur Station Master Anwar Hossain.

The protest began at 10:30am when around 200 workers gathered at the FDC rail crossing, halting train services on routes connecting Dhaka to Chattogram, Sylhet, Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Mymensingh.

During the demonstration, no trains could leave Kamalapur, while Dhaka-bound trains were stranded at various stations, including Tejgaon, Airport and Cantonment.

Mohammad Abdul Kader, who works as a gateman, said that the workers have not been paid their wages for five months, with December being the sixth month of unpaid work. He said the workers had taken their requests for payment to different offices.

“We have gone everywhere, but all we received are assurances. We demand that our wages be paid by the 10th of each month. We have another demand that we have been pushing for since 2022 – our jobs must be made permanent.”

Nearly 8,000 temporary workers are employed by the Bangladesh Railway as gatemen, weighers, and porters.