Rail communications across the country resumed on Wednesday with the railway running staff members ending their 30-hour-long work abstention programme although trains mostly ran behind their schedules on the day, causing terrible suffering to the passengers.
The agitating staff withdrew their strike after the government had assured them to meet their demands for restoration of their previous benefits for overtime work and special allowance聽 after retirement.
The finance ministry on the day also issued an office order restoring their previous benefits for overtime work.
On Wednesday, although train communications resumed but most trains ran behind schedules from almost all stations for reasons, including delays in taking away the trains from the rail tracks where the agitating staff halted them to join the 30-hour strike.聽
Thousands of passengers suffered as nationwide rail communications remained suspended since early hours of Tuesday due to the indefinite work abstention programme of the running staff agitating under the banner of Bangladesh Railway Running Staff and Sramik Karmachari Samity.
As an alternative, the railway introduced BRTC bus services at important rail stations across the country to carry passengers.
After daylong attempts for negotiation and multiple meetings, samity general secretary Mojibur Rahman gave an announcement of withdrawing their strike at about 2:45am on Wednesday following a meeting at the Dhaka residence of the railways ministry adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan.
The workers鈥� leader said that the adviser had promised them to meet their demands.
The adviser said that their demands would be met in phases.
The meeting was attended by the government officials, leaders of the railway running staff, students and Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
After the meeting the first train鈥擠humketu Express on Dhaka-Rajshahi route鈥攕tarted from Dhaka rail station in Kamalapur at 6:30am on the day, said station master Mohammad Anowar Hossain.
He also said that till 3:00pm, journeys of two trains were cancelled鈥擩ayantika Express on Dhaka-Sylhet and Burimari Express on Dhaka-Burimari routes.聽
Till 5:00pm on the day 30 trains, including one container train, left the station.
Parabat Express on Dhaka-Sylhet route was running around four hours behind schedule, Chattala Express on Dhaka-Chattogram route was running three and a half an hours behind schedule and Silk City on Dhaka-Rajshahi route was two and half an hours behind schedule.
Anowar said that the situation would become normal by today.
A railway official said that the disruption took place due to congestion on the tracks and the time needed for streamlining their work.
In the afternoon, a huge number of passengers were seen waiting at the station as trains were delayed.
The railway did not take the service of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation buses which were hired on Tuesday to carry train passengers as an alternative service.聽
抖阴精品 staff correspondent in Chattogram reported that all the scheduled trains were available at the Chattogram railway station, but almost all of them were behind their schedules ranging from 30 minutes to several hours.
From the Chattogram station, the Cox鈥檚 Bazar express to Cox鈥檚 Bazar left three hours late, both Sagarika Express to Chandpur and Bijoy Express to Jamalpur route left one and a half an hour late and Subarna Express to Dhaka and Paharika Express to Sylhet routes left the station one hour late.聽聽
Earlier on January 23 this year, the Finance Division issued an office order that read that the running staff would get running allowance only for overtime and the monthly running allowances could not be higher than the basic salary.
On Wednesday, the division issued another office order reading that the running staff members would get the mileage facilities as per the Railway Establishment Code.