The railway running staff have called off their strike after receiving assurances that their demands will be met by Wednesday.
The decision was announced in the early hours of Wednesday (29 January) night following a meeting at the residence of Railway Ministry Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan.
Earlier in the evening, leaders of the Bangladesh Railway Running Staff and Workers' Union, accompanied by labour leaders and student representatives, met with the adviser to discuss their grievances and the ongoing strike.
At around 2:30am, the union’s general secretary, Mojibur Rahman, informed reporters that the adviser had committed to resolving the matter through the finance ministry by Wednesday.
“The benefits we previously received will be reinstated. We are withdrawing our work stoppage effective immediately, and I urge all running staff to return to their duties,” he stated.
The strike, which began after midnight on Monday, had brought train operations to a halt at Kamalapur and other key stations across the country, leaving passengers stranded and causing severe disruptions.
Hasnat Abdullah, convener of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, confirmed the withdrawal of the strike in a Facebook post, stating that they had worked alongside labour leaders to negotiate a resolution with the railway adviser.
The running staff, which includes guards, locomotive drivers, assistant drivers, and ticket inspectors, have long been protesting for the inclusion of their running allowance in their pension and gratuity calculations.
Their demands date back to a finance ministry directive issued on 3 November 2021, which curtailed these benefits.
The union had earlier warned of halting train operations from 28 January if their demands were not met by 27 January.
Their protest stemmed from the government’s decision to limit the inclusion of their running allowance—previously amounting to 75% of their basic salary—into retirement benefits.
With the strike now lifted, normal railway services are expected to resume across the country.
