Metro rail staff went on strike following an incident where Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) police allegedly verbally and physically assaulted four employees.
Although they later resumed work after assurances from the managing director, passengers expressed frustration, calling the move unprofessional and irresponsible.
Passengers criticized the strike, stating that such actions by service sector employees were unexpected.
They argued that instead of causing public suffering, discussions with authorities would have been a more responsible approach.
The dispute began at Secretariat Station around 5pm on Sunday, where members of the MRT police got into an argument with a metro rail customer relations assistant (CRA).
A ticket machine operator (TMO) was allegedly forcibly taken to the MRT police box by his collar and beaten. In response, metro rail staff announced a strike that night.
Although metro services resumed at 7:10am on Monday, station staff refused to assist passengers. The situation persisted until 8:45am, when Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) Managing Director Faruque Ahmed arrived at Mirpur-10 Station and assured workers that their demands would be addressed. Operations returned to normal at 9am.
However, the strike caused significant disruption. Passengers struggled to buy tickets as single-journey ticket machines were shut down, while gate malfunctions prevented smooth entry and exit.
Many commuters travelled without tickets, leading to revenue losses for the government.
The sudden strike sparked widespread backlash on social media, particularly in MetroRail Passenger Community-Dhaka, a popular Facebook group.
Mainuddin Molla Nirab wrote: "Metro rail employees are literally going on strike! It seems they treat their jobs as personal businesses, prioritizing their interests over passengers."
Iftekhar Ahmed remarked: "The government lost a huge amount of revenue. The salaries of those involved should be deducted to compensate for the loss."
Sajeda Akhter Saju commented: "This issue could have been resolved through discussions with the authorities. Repeated strikes causing public and government inconvenience are unacceptable. Those responsible should be permanently dismissed."
Masum Billah, in another group Bangladesh Metro Railway Information, wrote: "Metro rail is a major institution with a chain of command. If employees go on strike over every incident, how will such an important organization function?"
Metro rail staff’s six demands
To prevent future incidents, metro rail staff have put forward the following demands:
- Immediate dismissal of SI Masud, the alleged instigator, and punishment for Constable Reznul and Inspector Ranjit, along with a public apology.
- Formation of a dedicated security force for metro rail staff and passengers.
- Abolition of the MRT police.
- 100% safety assurance for all station employees, including CRAs, TMOs, and station controllers.
- Restriction of unauthorized access to paid zones, allowing only individuals with official ID cards and permission.
- Full medical coverage for injured staff, with the authorities taking complete responsibility for their treatment.
