Garment workers lift Dhk-M'singh highway blockade after 3hrs

Garment workers lifted a blockade on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Uttara after nearly three hours on Wednesday, following instructions from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and assurances from local Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders.

More than 1,000 workers from several garment factories in the Azampur and Rajlaxmi areas began blocking the highway around 10:30 AM, demanding higher wages. The blockade disrupted traffic and caused severe congestion, leaving thousands of commuters stranded.

Following instructions from the prime minister and Youth and Sports State Minister Aminul Haque, former convener of BNP’s Dhaka North City unit, former member secretary Haji Mostafa Zaman went to the scene with party activists.

He spoke to the protesting workers and urged them to end the blockade to prevent further public suffering. The workers withdrew the blockade around 1:00 PM, allowing traffic to resume.

Former member of the BNP’s Dhaka North City unit Alaudin Sarker Tipu and other local party leaders were also present.

Besides demanding higher wages, the workers called for lower prices of essential commodities. Many commuters were forced to walk to reach their destinations, including some travelling abroad.

The workers later marched from Azampur towards the airport before ending their protest, after which traffic returned to normal.

There were allegations that workers and employees of several garment factories, including Nipa Garments, owned by former Awami League lawmaker Khasru Chowdhury, joined the blockade at his instigation and with his financial support. The allegations could not be independently verified.

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