Railway workers blockaded the rail tracks in Dhaka's Malibagh area on Sunday in demand of permanent employment along with the regularisation of their jobs, snapping rail connection between the capital and the rest of the country.

They blocked the rail line at 10:30am and were continuing their protest till filing of this report around 12:00pm.

Kamalapur Railway Station Manager Masud Sarwar told The Business Standard that three trains have been stranded along with thousands of passengers on board since 10:30am.

The three trains which have not been able to leave Kamalapur Station are Agnibeena Express, Jamalpur Express and a local train going from Dhaka to Tarakandi.

Shovon Chandra Hore, assistant commissioner of Sabujbagh zone of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said the workers have been occupying the rail tracks for the last one hour. "Policemen are trying to move them away and discussion is still on," he added.

At 10am, the train  Egaro Sindur, bound for Kishoreganj from Kamalapur, was halted. 

Workers' representative Mohammad Hossain said no solution was found regarding permanent employment through the implementation of the official gazette even after repeated visits to the railway minister, railway secretary and railway authorities.

Contractual worker have staged sit-in programmes since morning in demand of reinstating temporary workers (TLR) jobs, permanentisation, cancellation of outsourcing practices and the amendment of recruitment rules 2020 to keep the cut off qualification as Class V11 pass for grade 4 employees.

Earlier, on 16 July, the contractual employees of the railway blocked the railway line at the FDC railway gate of the capital to demand permanent employment. Later, in the presence of the police, the agitators withdrew from the railway line on the assurance of Jahangir Hossain, general manager of Bangladesh Railway (East Zone).