Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) - The operation of Dhaka's Metro Rail will not resume on Saturday as previously announced, due to the inability to complete necessary technical tests.
A press statement of the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL) said Thursday night without providing any specific reasons for the delay.
Earlier, DMTCL had indicated that Metro Rail services would restart on Saturday. However, no new date has been announced for the resumption of operations.
According to sources, the metro authority has been unable to conduct the required trial runs due to an ongoing strike by a group of DMTCL employees.
To safely resume operations after a month-long suspension, at least five working days of trial runs are necessary, which is now unfeasible due to the strike.
DMTCL, established in 2013, began recruiting staff in 2019 and now employs over 700 individuals trained both domestically and internationally to operate and maintain the city's first metro rail along the Uttara-Motijheel corridor.
Despite a significant manpower shortage, more than 100 employees, including engineers, station operators, and train drivers, have already left the company.
Insiders attribute the departures to the lack of competitive salaries, benefits, and promotional opportunities as outlined in the DMTCL Act, with better job opportunities available elsewhere despite the specialized training provided.
Metro Rail operations have been suspended since July 18 amid violence related to the quota reform movement, which later escalated into a mass uprising that resulted in the downfall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government.
On July 19, miscreants vandalized two metro stations in Mirpur-10 and Kazipara that led to the suspension of the rail services.
BBN/AN/SI