Workers block Dhaka-Chattogram Highway demanding unpaid wages

Over 100 workers of a garment factory blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway at Chattogram city's AK Khan Intersection for over an hour on Sunday afternoon, demanding two months' worth of unpaid wages.

The protest caused severe traffic congestion, with hundreds of vehicles stuck on the busy stretch of the highway, which serves as a key entry point into the city, causing immense suffering to commuters.

Confirming the incident, Jashim Uddin, Additional Superintendent of Chattogram Industrial Police, told The Business Standard, "Needle Eye is a small factory, and the owner is not even a member of BGMEA. Only about 100 workers are employed there. The owner went into hiding without paying their wages for March and April."

Jashim Uddin further said, "Demanding their dues, the workers blocked the road around 1:30 PM. Upon receiving the information, we rushed to the spot and convinced them to lift the blockade by around 2:30 PM. Later, the workers went to the factory and locked the premises. They currently hold the key. If the owner fails to pay the wages, the factory's machinery will be sold to settle the dues."

He assured that the situation is now under control and traffic movement on the highway has resumed.