Metro Service Resumes After Temporary Worker Strike Over Alleged Harassment
Although there were initial concerns about a possible suspension of metro rail services on Monday (March 17) following an overnight decision, trains operated as scheduled. However, some metro rail staff went on strike in protest against the alleged harassment of their colleagues, leading to disruptions in ticket sales for single-journey passengers.
As a result of the protest, passengers unable to purchase single-journey tickets were allowed to travel for free, while those with MRT cards were able to access the service as usual. This led to a two-and-a-half-hour period—between 7:00 AM and 9:30 AM—during which passengers traveled without tickets.
Hossain Mahmud, an official at a brokerage house in Motijheel, described his experience, saying, "Like every day, I arrived at Shewrapara Metro Station to go to work. I saw that card punching was not possible, but the metro was still running. So, I reached my office without punching my card."
The situation was resolved after approximately 90 minutes when metro employees resumed their duties following assurances from the authorities. Ticket sales resumed as normal.
Confirming the development, Nasir Uddin Ahmed, Director (Operations & Maintenance) of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), stated, "The metro rail workers have withdrawn their protest. Steps will be taken promptly to address their demands. All employees have returned to work, and single-journey tickets are being sold as usual."
Echoing his statement, DMTCL’s General Manager (Operations), Mohammad Iftikhar Hossain, added, "Some metro rail staff observed a work stoppage in protest against the harassment of their colleagues, which led to the temporary halt of single-journey ticket sales. However, metro services remained operational. The situation has now been resolved, and passengers facing any penalties related to ticketing can address their concerns at the station."
The protest stemmed from an incident on Sunday when four DMTCL employees were allegedly harassed by members of the MRT police. The protesting workers claimed that the incident was intentional.
