Police charge baton on railway workers; Dhaka’s rail link restored after 5 hours

Police today charged batons on the temporary workers of Bangladesh Railway, who blocked the railway tracks at Malibagh level crossing in Dhaka, halting Dhaka's rail link with other parts of the country for more than four hours.

Demanding job regularisation, the temporary workers staged a sit-in protest blocking the railway tracks since 10:00am, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Shahjahanpur Police Station Hafizur Rahman told The Daily Star.

Around 2:15pm, police charged baton on the workers and dispersed them, Superintendent of Dhaka Railway Police Anwar Hossain said, adding that seven were detained from the spot.

Kamalapur Station Manager Mohammad Masud Sarwar told reporters in the afternoon, "We are sorry for the unexpected incident. Due to the agitation, the schedule of some trains was disrupted. We had nothing to do here. And the passengers are now suffering."

The Rangpur Express, which was scheduled to leave Kamalapur Railway Station at 9:10am, left the platform at 2:30pm, the station master said.

Masud Sarwar said the Kishoreganj Express, Jayantika Express, Agniveena Express, Rajshahi Commuter, Chattla Express and Mohanganj Express are waiting to leave Kamalapur Station, he said.

"All trains will leave the platform gradually," he said.