After around 53 hours of continuous protests, workers in Dhaka's Ashulia, demanding service benefits and compensation, have lifted their blockade of the Nabinagar-Chandra Highway, reports Daily Sun.
The blockade, which had paralyzed the major route since Monday morning, was called off on Wednesday at 1:00pm following assurances from a joint force of police and military personnel.
Earlier, multiple attempts by police and army personnel to convince the workers to leave the road failed. The situation changed when the military detained the factory owner and assured the workers their dues would be settled, prompting them to relocate from the road to the front of their factory.
The blockade had caused massive traffic jams across a 30-kilometer stretch, including the Nabinagar-Chandra, Baipail-Abdullahpur, and Dhaka-Aricha highways. Thousands of vehicles, including trucks, covered vans, and buses, were stuck, with some commuters forced to walk long distances.
The protests began after Birds Group, a garment factory, failed to pay the workers their service benefits and compensation on the promised date, 30 September. Workers accused the factory management of selling machinery while delaying payments, further fueling their frustration.
Traffic authorities expect the roads to return to normal by Wednesday evening.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
