Railway blockade in Dhaka halts train services

Temporary railway employees staged a blockade at the FDC level crossing in Dhaka on Tuesday, demanding overdue salaries. This resulted in a complete suspension of train operations between Dhaka and the rest of the country from 10:45 am, causing significant inconvenience to passengers at stations.

As of 1:00 pm, passengers were still waiting at Kamalapur Railway Station, with women and children particularly affected by the disruption.

On-site observations revealed that the Agnibina Express, scheduled to depart at 11:30 am, remained stationary at Platform 6. Similarly, the Rajshahi Commuter, expected to leave at 12:20 pm, had yet to arrive at the platform.

Aklima, a mother traveling to Mymensingh, said, "Our train was supposed to leave at 11:30 am. It’s been nearly three hours, and it still hasn’t departed. We don’t know when it will. I am facing difficulties managing my children in this situation."

Jafar Ali, a passenger on the Agnibina Express, added, "I’ve been sitting here for hours with no updates. There’s no information on when the train will depart."

A visit to Kamalapur Railway Station showed a growing number of passengers. Station officials noted that the winter season and December school holidays have contributed to the increased crowd in recent days.

Kamalapur Railway Station Manager Md Sajedul Islam said, "Train operations have been suspended due to the blockade. Services will resume as soon as the blockade is lifted."