DHAKA, Bangladesh — On Tuesday, train services were suspended across Bangladesh as railway workers initiated a strike demanding increased pensions and enhanced benefits. This disruption significantly impacted tens of thousands of passengers and cargo shipments throughout the nation.
Saidur Rahman, who serves as the acting president of the Bangladesh Railway Running Staff and Workers Union, stated that the strike followed unfruitful negotiations with the interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Muhammad Yunus. The discussions, held late Monday, did not yield an agreement. Rahman warned that the strike would persist indefinitely unless their demands were met by the government.
The state-owned railway system of Bangladesh transports approximately 65 million passengers annually in a country with a population of around 170 million. It employs roughly 25,000 staff members and operates an extensive rail network spanning over 36,000 kilometers (22,000 miles).
At Kamlapur Railway Station, located in Dhaka, hundreds of bewildered travelers flocked to the area, unaware of the strike’s occurrence. Many individuals stood in line for extended periods hoping for their trains, only to find themselves without options. When the railway adviser of the country visited the station, passengers expressed their frustrations vocally.
Fouzul Kabir Khan, the adviser on railway affairs, addressed reporters, expressing his regret over the nationwide strike and imploring the workers to cease their actions. He indicated that the government was open to discussions aimed at resolving the ongoing dispute.
Shahadat Hossain, a station manager at Dhaka’s railway hub, reported that at least ten trains were supposed to depart that Tuesday morning. Though authorities arranged for buses as an alternative means of transport, the number proved insufficient for the overwhelming demand.
One passenger, Mohammed Nadim, shared his experience of being stranded at Kamlapur Railway Station after traveling hundreds of kilometers overnight to reach Dhaka for a trip to the coastal town of Cox’s Bazar. “I arrived at 5:30 a.m. from outside Dhaka, but about an hour later I learned my train wouldn’t be operating. I’ve been stuck here for hours with no resolution. The officials informed me that my ticket would be refunded, but I’m uncertain when this reimbursement will occur,” he explained.
Nadim declined to take the bus provided by the authorities as an alternative. “It’s too far. I came prepared to travel by train, and I’m reluctant to journey this distance by a bus, whether it’s air-conditioned or not. Now they’re offering me a bus that lacks air conditioning,” he added.
Reports from Jamuna TV indicated that railway employees were also protesting in Chattogram, the country’s second-largest city. This southeastern city hosts the largest seaport in Bangladesh, which is crucial for the country’s textile industry that relies on railways to transport goods for export purposes. The garment sector contributes approximately $38 billion annually in exports, mainly to markets in the United States and Europe.
In the northwestern region of Rajshahi, reports surfaced of disgruntled passengers vandalizing a station’s property and physically confronting staff, as covered by Jamuna TV.
Since August, the interim government under Yunus has been in power following the flight of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India amidst a student-led revolt, which abruptly ended her 15-year tenure. The interim administration is now grappling with maintaining order during a period of economic slowdown, as noted by various global financial institutions like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.
