10km tailback as RMG workers block highway for 3rd day

For the third consecutive day, RMG workers from five factories of T&Z Group have blocked Dhaka-Mymensingh highway near Basan area in Gazipur, demanding overdue wages for September and October.

As of 10:00am, a 10-kilometre tailback had formed on the highway, severely impacting traffic flow, according to Gazipur Traffic Police Inspector Abdullah Al Mamun.

To ease the passengers' hardship, Gazipur traffic police are rerouting Mymensingh-bound buses via Salna and regional roads, directing some vehicles from Gazipur's Shibbari via Kaliganj and Chandra. Additionally, Dhaka-bound buses from Kishoreganj are being diverted through Kapasia-Kaliganj-Tongi route.

Photo: Collected

Police said around 2,000 workers from T&Z Apparels Limited, Basic Clothing Limited, Apparels Plus, Basic Knitwear Limited, and Apparel Art Limited are currently protesting on the highway. The demonstrators have vowed not to leave the road until their outstanding wages are paid.

Assistant Superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police, Mosharraf Hossain, confirmed that the protest is going on, and the public's hardship remains severe.

Gazipur Traffic Police ADC Ashok Kumar Pal said that traffic congestion on the highway is as severe as it was yesterday, causing extended delays.

Commuter Yasin Uddin Mia, travelling with family, started walking after being dropped off far from Dhaka due to the blockage.

"I got off at Bhogra Bypass Junction and had to walk over a kilometre with my wife, children, and bags. It's exhausting," he said.

Advocate Ziaul Kabir Khokon, president of the Garment Workers Trade Union Centre's Gazipur district, told The Daily Star that the workers are demanding immediate payment, stressing that their patience is running thin after repeated delays.

"I heard the company owner might have fled. If dues aren't paid soon, we will join the workers in their protest," he said.