RMG workers blocking Uttara highway over wage hike chased away with tear gas

Police fired tear gas and chased away garment workers who blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Uttara, Dhaka today (15 October), demanding a minimum wage hike.

The workers began their protest around 10am, disrupting traffic on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and surrounding roads and leaving commuters, public transport passengers and pedestrians struggling to reach their destinations on time.

Police tried several times to persuade them to leave the highway, but after those efforts failed, they chased the protesters away around 11:45am, firing tear gas to disperse them.

Traffic returned to normal after the protesters left the road at around 12:15pm.

The demonstration follows a similar protest yesterday (14 October), when workers from several garment factories blocked the highway in Azampur over the same demand.

Workers began gathering in the area in the morning before taking their position on the highway around 11am, bringing traffic to a halt on one side of the road and causing severe congestion on nearby streets.

Many passengers were left stranded, while some got off buses and continued their journeys on foot.

At around 1:15pm yesterday, Md Al Amin Sarkar, additional deputy commissioner of the Uttara Division, told The Business Standard that one side of the road had been reopened to traffic following discussions with the workers.

Several people had also gathered at the Airport Roundabout at the time.

Earlier, on Monday (12 October), garment workers blocked the road in Azampur, demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk30,000.

Hundreds of workers from several garment factories in Southkhan took part in the protest, disrupting traffic on one side of the highway.

Earlier, on Monday (12 October), garment workers blocked the road in Azampur, demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk30,000.