Children passing time by playing in Kamalapur

Five-year-old Sinar Rahman arrived at Kamalapur railway station with his parents. Sinar's family is set to visit her father's home district Bhairab. Although, 3/4 hours have passed since they arrived at the station, no train has come. While waiting for the train, Sinar is busy playing. In between games, she comes and asks her mother when the train will arrive.

Sinar's mother Nusrat Begum said: "When we arrived at the station, I saw that there was no train. Her father went outside the station to make arrangements for alternative travel. We have been sitting for 3/4 hours, if no arrangements are made, we will return home."

Many other passengers like Sinar's family are suffering at Kamalapur station. Many are in trouble with small children. One such passenger is Shamima Khatun. She will go from Dhaka to Kushtia. She gave birth to a child through a caesarean section some 18 days ago. She came to Kamalapur with the newborn, another child and her brother's wife. But when she arrived, she found out that the train would not run. Meanwhile, these two women are in trouble with their two small children.

Many people are returning to the station after learning that the train is not running. Many are also seen going to the counter to return their tickets.

Passenger Asib Ahmed expressed his anger and said: "If the train service is suspended today, why did the authorities sell tickets to us? Now they have arranged for the BRTC's fitnessless buses. There is no discipline here."

Passengers who wanted to go to different districts of the country including Rajshahi, Chattogram, Khulna, Panchagarh, Dinajpur were seen sitting at the station waiting for the train. Many have started travelling on alternative routes in frustration.

Train services across the country are suspended due to the strike of railway running staff. Train services have been suspended on various routes including the capital Dhaka since midnight on Monday. However, a train was seen arriving at Kamalapur from Panchagarh around 9am.

The running staff have been protesting for a long time demanding pension and gratuity along with running allowance in addition to their basic salary. On Wednesday, the Railway Running Staff and Workers Union held a press conference at the old railway station in Chattogram and gave a condition that their demands be met by January 27. Otherwise, they announced that they would stop rail operations from January 28.