Railway staff call off strike on minister’s assurance

Bangladesh Railway (BR) staff, including loco masters, have called off their strike following an assurance from Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan.

Earlier on the day, railway staff brought all train operations to a standstill around the country to press home their demands for more overtime pay, allowances, and retirement benefits.

Md Saidur Rahman, representing the protesters, made the announcement after a meeting with the minister and ministry high ups around 12pm at the Kamalapur Railway Station (KRS) in Dhaka on Wednesday.

Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan, addressing the press, said, "We will sit with the prime minister on 19 April to discuss the matter and will also talk with the finance ministry. The demands made by the demonstrators will be met."

The strike crippled train services across the country, with passengers on inland routes to different parts of the country suffering the most.

"Around 5am, the loco masters began their strike in protest against the government's recent decision to revoke the allowance," Shariful Alam, public relations officer of the railway ministry, told The Business Standard.

Officials of the BR said workers started the protest without prior notice, causing much suffering to passengers due to the sudden unavailability of trains.

Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan, with Railway Secretary Humayun Kabir, and Director General of Railways, Dhirendra Nath Majumder, went to Kamalapur station around 9:30am on Wednesday.

The staff were initially reluctant to meet the minister but eventually met him at around 12.45pm.

Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan said, "I have talked to the finance ministry and the government at the highest level about mileage overtime."

The notification that caused the protests will be cancelled, said Sujan, and added that railway workers will get back the benefits they used to get.

The railway minister told the protesting workers, "You have to keep in mind that passengers must not suffer before Eid."