Garment Workers Block Dhaka-Tangail Highway in Gazipur Demanding 30,000 Taka Wage, Traffic Resumes After Five Hours
Traffic on the Dhaka-Tangail highway resumed after a five-hour blockade at the Chandra Palli Bidyut area of Kaliakair upazila in Gazipur. On Saturday (31 October) afternoon, traffic on the highway stopped because of garment workers' protests and blockade. When the workers left the road around 7:30 in the evening, traffic began returning to normal.
The workers demonstrated and blocked the highway demanding a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka and increases in pay and allowances. At one point agitated workers placed sand-filled sacks, wood and bamboo on the highway and set them on fire.
Clashes began when police requested that the highway be cleared. The protesters hurled brickbats at police. Around 15 vehicles, including a police vehicle, were vandalised at the time.
Because of the blockade, traffic across roughly 15 kilometres of the Dhaka-Tangail highway came to a standstill, causing suffering for thousands of passengers.
Gazipur Industrial Police Superintendent Mohammad Amjad Hossain said police and industrial police fired tear gas shells and sound grenades to bring the situation under control, and repeated chases and counter-chases took place.
To avoid worker unrest and untoward incidents, holidays were declared at around 20 garment factories from Konabari to the Chandra area, including Divine Textile. Additional police were deployed at various points for security.
