A massive 20-kilometre tailback has been created in Ashulia industrial area, the outskirt of Dhaka, due to a road blockade by garment workers from Birds Group.
The protest has paralysed the Dhaka-Aricha and Nabinagar-Chandra highways, along with the Bypail-Abdullahpur road.
The blockade on the Nabinagar-Chandra highway began at 9:30 am on Monday and was still ongoing as of 10:30 am on Tuesday, Daily Sun reports.
The workers are protesting, demanding service benefits and compensation. The continuous blockade has caused severe traffic disruption, leading to immense suffering for commuters.
Many were forced to walk to their destinations, with students and office-goers bearing the brunt of the inconvenience.
According to sources, Birds Group workers initiated the blockade after the company failed to fulfill its commitment to pay service benefits and compensation by September 30.
The company earlier issued a notice on August 28, announcing a layoff of all factories in Ashulia's Bypail area. The notice said that August wages would be paid by September 10, and service benefits and compensation would follow by September 30. Although wages were paid as scheduled, the promised benefits and compensation were not. Instead, the company requested an additional three months to fulfill these payments, which led to the protest.
There are also allegations that the company offered a bribe of Tk8.5 lakh to labour leaders, despite failing to meet its financial obligations to the workers.
Ashulia Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abu Bakar Siddique said, "We are trying to negotiate with the demonstrating workers to vacate the road, but they have declared that they will not leave until their demands are met."
bd-pratidin/GR
