BDRunner, PABNA, Jan 28: – Railway employees have started an indefinite strike from Monday midnight as their demands were not implemented. As a result, train services from Pabna to the whole country have been suspended. This has caused suffering to passengers.
Railway employees are on strike demanding pension and gratuity along with mileage earned (part of pay running allowance) as per the rules.
The Bangladesh Railway Running Staff Okiya Parishad (Loco Master, Guard, TTE) had set a deadline for the government to meet their demands till January 27. But as no solution was found till the set time, the railway running staff were forced to go on strike. This has brought rail communication across the country to a standstill.
On Tuesday (January 28) morning, it was seen at Ishwardi Junction station in Pabna that some passengers had come to the station without knowing it. They returned as the train was closed. Since then, the station has been in complete silence.
Abul Kashem, a daily wage worker, arrived in Ishwardi from Dinajpur by train last night. He said, “I will go to work as a daily wage worker. But when I arrived at Ishwardi station in the morning, I saw that the train was closed. Now I am worried about how to go.”
Another passenger, Mohiuddin, said, “I did not know that the train was closed since last night. I found out after coming to the station in the morning. I will go to Faridpur. What will happen if the train is closed now? I have to go. I will go in an alternative vehicle.”
Rabiul Islam, joint secretary of the central committee of the Railway Running Staff and Workers’ Union, said that even though the working day is 8 hours, the running staff have to work an average of 15-18 hours. For this, they are given special financial benefits, which is called mileage in railway parlance. Mileage is part of the salary of the running staff. The mileage calculation is that for every 100 kilometers the running staff runs, they will get an amount equivalent to one basic salary more. If we assume a working day of 8 hours, the running staff work for two and a half or two-three months every month. Their salary is also paid in the same way.
He said, in addition to the retirement allowance as the basic salary, they are given an additional 75 percent more in pension. But in January 2022, the Finance Ministry canceled that benefit for the running staff. Since then, the running staff of Bangladesh Railway has been holding a unity movement.
Afzal Hossain, General Secretary of the Railway Guards Council Central Committee, said that the Railway Running Staff Unity Council has repeatedly informed the railway officials and the railway ministry through letters to fulfill all their demands, including payment of mileage, by January 27. Our movement has been going on for three years. However, the railway authorities have not taken any decision in this regard. As a result, we were forced to take this decision. We will start operating trains only when our demands are accepted.
Meanwhile, police security has been strengthened at the station. Members of the Railway Security Force are patrolling different areas of the station.
Ishwardi Junction Railway Station Master Shajahan Ali said, “We are appealing to the passengers at the station through the microphone to return their tickets to those who had purchased advance tickets. We do not know when the train services will resume. Since this matter was known in advance, there is no pressure on the passengers at the station, he also said.
It is worth noting that according to the information of the Pakshi Divisional Railway of the Western Railway, 108 trains operate in this region. Of these, 54 are intercity, 35 are mail, 19 are local and freight trains operate.
N/M
28/1/25
