A group of workers from T & Z Apparels Limited in Gazipur staged a protest by blocking the highway in the Maleker Bari area of the city, demanding the payment of their overdue wages. The protest began around 9:30 am on Saturday (November 9). As a result, traffic came to a standstill on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway.
Since the road blockade began early in the morning, hundreds of commuters have faced severe inconvenience. The blockade caused a traffic jam several kilometers long in both the Mymensingh and Tangail directions, as well as towards Dhaka.
According to Gazipur Industrial Police and the workers, T & Z Apparels Limited, a garment factory located in the Maleker Bari area of Gazipur City Corporation, has not paid the workers' wages and has shut down the factory. Wages for September and October for the six factories of the group remain unpaid. The workers have been demanding their wages for a long time, but the factory authorities have not made the payments.
On Saturday morning, the workers gathered in front of the factory and later blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway at the Maleker Bari-Columbia intersection. Police and army personnel were dispatched to the scene to try to control the situation.
Rabiul Hasan, a worker at the factory, said, "Although they promised to pay us over the past two months, we have not received our wages yet. This forced us to take to the streets."
Another worker, Najma Akter, said, "The factory was closed in April, and although it reopened in September, the authorities have not paid us for the last two months. Despite multiple promises through the police and the army to set a date for payment, the authorities have not made any payment. So, we had no choice but to block the road."
Local businessman Delwar Hossain stated, "The workers of this factory have been blocking the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway for almost a month. The factory authorities are not resolving the issue of workers' wages. The blockade is causing severe distress to passengers and transport drivers using this highway."
Khalilur Rahman, Additional Superintendent of Police of Gazipur Industrial Police, said, "Efforts are being made to resolve the wage issue through discussions with the factory authorities."