Traffic resumes on Dhaka-Tangail highway after 7hr blockade

Traffic on the Dhaka-Tangail highway in Gazipur returned to normal after seven hours on Sunday, as protesting workers moved off the road following clashes with police.

Police fired sound grenades and tear gas shells to disperse the workers after several rounds of clashes. Traffic movement was fully restored around 3:00 PM, police said.

Gazipur Industrial Police Superintendent Amzad Hossain said the protesters had been dispersed from the road. A sufficient number of law enforcement personnel remained deployed at the scene to prevent further disorder.

Earlier, workers blocked roads at several locations, including Pallibidyut and Mouchak in Kaliakair upazila and Konabari in Gazipur city, from around 8:30 AM.

During the protests, workers set fire to materials on the road, bringing traffic to a halt. They also vandalised banks and shops, set fire to a police box and torched vehicles.

The incidents created a tense situation along the Dhaka-Tangail highway, disrupting traffic for seven hours.

Amzad Hossain further said more than 50 factories along the highway between Kaliakair and Konabari had been temporarily closed amid the unrest.

He said the situation had largely returned to normal, with police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel deployed at different locations.

sks