Trains come to a halt as workers block rail track in Malibagh

A group of railway workers have taken position in the capital's Malibagh area this morning, blocking trains between Dhaka and some districts.

They demanded that the authorities make their job contracts permanent as per previous commitment.

A railway official told Prothom Alo that two trains – Rangpur Express and Tangail Commuter – got stuck in Malibagh in the morning due to the sit-in programme of workers. The operations of other trains were also disrupted.

The workers have been holding programmes for several months, demanding their permanent employment.

They said the railway authorities had recruited nearly 7,500 workers temporarily through official circulars. They have already served in their respective positions for 12 to 14 years.

The job agreements stipulated that they would be granted permanent positions within three to four years of recruitment.

But the railway authorities did not fulfill the commitment. Moreover, it recently declared that the temporary workers would be laid off and new ones workers outsourced.

The aggrieved workers demanded that the authorities fulfill the commitment and make their jobs permanent. They remained on the rail track until the filing of this report around 11:15 am.