Workers from a garment factory in Gazipur staged a protest this morning, blocking a major highway to demand payment of overdue wages and allowances. 

The demonstration, which took place near the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, resulted in severe traffic congestion and public disruption.

The protest began around 7:30am in the Dighirchala area under the jurisdiction of Gazipur Metropolitan’s Basan Police Station. 

Workers from Shin Yuen Garments Co. Ltd. (known as Bulbul Knitting) gathered in front of the factory and occupied the highway, bringing traffic to a standstill.

According to both police and worker sources, employees had not received their wages for August or their night shift allowances, despite repeated assurances from factory management. 

The failure to deliver on promised payments sparked anger among the workers, prompting them to take to the streets.

As traffic along the highway came to a halt, commuters and pedestrians experienced considerable hardship. 

Police from Basan Station and members of the industrial police arrived on the scene shortly after the protest began and attempted to disperse the crowd peacefully. 

However, when the workers refused to vacate the road, officers resorted to baton charges to break up the demonstration.

The standoff lasted for about an hour before order was restored and vehicular movement resumed.

Sub-Inspector Sajib Hasan of Basan Police Station told Banglanews that the workers were due to receive their wages on Wednesday (September 10), but the payments were not made. 

"With the factory owner unreachable and phone lines disconnected, even the management could not provide clear answers. The workers became agitated and blocked the road. Police intervened to restore normalcy," he said.

SMS/