A security guard of a garment factory was killed after being run over by a bus in the Targach area under Gacha police station in Gazipur on Saturday night. Following the incident, enraged workers blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and set fire to four passenger buses around 9:15 pm.
The deceased was identified as Munnaf Malitha, 45, a security guard at the Ananta Casual Garment Factory in the area.
According to the police and local sources, the accident occurred as Munnaf was helping workers cross the road after their shift ended. A speeding bus from the Azmeri Glory Paribahan hit him, leaving him critically injured. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where the on-duty doctor declared him dead.
News of the worker’s death spread quickly, prompting fellow workers to block the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in protest. At one point, they set fire to four buses belonging to Azmeri Glory.
Firefighters arrived at the scene to extinguish the blaze but faced resistance as protesters hurled bricks and stones at their vehicles, forcing them to retreat. Later, at around 10:30 pm, the firefighters managed to douse the flames, but the four buses were completely burnt.
Police intervened to bring the situation under control, and vehicular movement on the highway resumed around 10:00 pm. However, the roadblock caused severe traffic congestion, with long tailbacks forming on both sides of the highway.
Ali Mohammad Rashed, Officer-in-Charge of Gacha Police Station, said, "The security guard died in a road accident while crossing the road. Workers then blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and set fire to four buses. By 10:00 pm, traffic movement resumed, and the situation is now under police control.