Garment workers' protest on Chairmanbari Road in Dhaka's Banani, brought Dhaka traffic to a grinding halt today, causing immense sufferings to the commuters.

Protesting a road accident that left a garment worker dead, her fellow workers blocked both sides of Chairmanbari Road, causing severe traffic congestion and immense suffering for commuters.

The blockade on Banani and the elevated express disrupts vehicular movement on different roads. However, operation on expressway resumed after four hours at 11:45am. 

Photo: Prabir Das

The blockade has affected multiple routes across the city.

Md Tuhin, an employee of Maruf Store in Banani, told The Daily Star, "When I opened the shop at 7:00am, I saw the road was completely blocked. Pedestrians were using the footpaths to reach their destinations, but even the footpaths were overcrowded."

Sixty-year-old Shona Mia, who was travelling with his wife, said, "We reached Sainik Club from Kochukhet only to find the road blocked. I am headed to Gazipur, but I have been waiting for a bus here. I walked some distance but am now exhausted. I keep taking breaks, but I don't know how much farther I can go."

A 35-year-old woman, speaking anonymously, said, "My office is in Uttara. I left Agargaon at 8:30am and reached Jahangir Gate by 9:30am, but then got stuck. Later, I took a detour through the Cantonment to Sainik Club and am now walking through Banani, hoping to find a vehicle to reach my office."

Afroja Begum, an office-goer from Mirpur, said, "It took me almost two hours to reach Farmgate. I left for the office at 8:30am and reached around 10:30am. The roads are completely jammed, and there's no way to move."

Our correspondent from the scene reported that no vehicles from Mohakhali could enter Banani due to the blockade. Similarly, vehicles coming from the airport were unable to pass through Banani.

Buses were dropping off passengers near Banani graveyard before turning back towards the airport.

The protest erupted earlier in the morning after a woman was killed and another injured in a truck accident at the Chairman Bari U-turn in Banani. Following the incident, garment workers blocked both sides of Chairman Bari Road.

A student travelling from Karwan Bazar expressed frustration, saying, "I left at 8:30am, and it's already 10:00am. In 90 minutes, I've only reached Jahangir Gate. My class was supposed to start at 10:00am. What am I supposed to do now?"

The protesting garment workers also blocked the expressway ramp near Banani Chairmanbari, halting operation since 7:40am, Hasib Hasan Khan, head of the Traffic Safety and Security Department at First Dhaka Elevated Expressway O&M Company, told The Daily Star.

As of 11:30am, the protest is still ongoing, Hasib said, adding that "Additional police personnel have been deployed in the area, but expressway services will remain suspended until security and safety are ensured."

According to OC Rasel Sarwar, another person was seriously injured after being hit by an unidentified truck.