Metro Rail employees have withdrawn their work strike after approximately an hour and a half, following assurances from the authorities. As a result, the ticket system has also resumed.
Metro Rail employees returned to their normal duties after 9:00 AM on Monday, March 17th.
Previously, Metro Rail employees had announced a work strike following an incident where four employees of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) were harassed by members of the MRT police. Considering the inconvenience to passengers, the authorities decided to keep the rail service operational.
As per the decision, Metro Rail operated on schedule from the morning of Monday, March 17th, despite the employees' work strike. With empty counters, passengers were able to travel without tickets. After approximately an hour and a half, Metro Rail employees withdrew their work strike following assurances from the authorities. Subsequently, the ticket system was reinstated.
Meanwhile, under the banner of "All Officers and Employees of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited," Metro Rail employees issued a press release on Sunday night, March 16th, outlining the incident and stating six demands.
The demands are as follows:
- The main perpetrator of the incident, SI Masud, must be permanently dismissed within one working day, and all police officers involved (Constable Reznul, Inspector Ranjit) must be punished and publicly apologize.
- A separate armed force must be formed for the safety of Metro Rail, its staff, and passengers.
The MRT Police must be abolished immediately. - 100% security must be ensured for all staff on duty at the stations, including CRAs, TMOs, and Station Controllers.
- Entry into the paid zones of the stations must be strictly prohibited without official identification and authorization.
- The authorities must take full responsibility for the treatment of the injured employees.
The press release stated that all Metro Rail staff would continue the work strike until their demands were met, and more stringent measures would be announced if necessary.
