Dhaka, March 17 -- Temporary railway staff have called off plans to surround the Rail Bhaban after authorities promised to pay off their outstanding salaries and settle other demands over the next week.

The decision was reached at a meeting involving the staff, Railway Secretary Md Fahimul Islam and Bangladesh Railway Director General Md Afzal Hossain on Monday.

"We'll pay off their unpaid salaries by next Sunday. They [railway staff] have been assured that the other matters will be looked into. They then withdrew the programme," said Rezaul Karim, public relations officer at the railway ministry.

Around 10:45am on Monday, several hundred temporary railway workers began demonstrating over unpaid salaries in front of the main gate of th...