Garment workers again blocked Dhaka-Aricha highway
Photo: Agamir Somoy
Garment workers blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway again on Wednesday to press home their three-point demand, including setting a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000, stopping the blacklisting of workers, and revoking unjust dismissals.
Savar Highway Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Asaduzzaman Noor confirmed the matter.
The blockade by workers in Hemayetpur, Savar, resulted in a traffic jam spanning nearly two kilometers on the highway, causing suffering to thousands of passengers and pedestrians.
Around 9am, workers from various garment factories gathered in the Hemayetpur bus stand area of Savar and took position on the highway. As they stopped vehicular movement, traffic congestion developed on both sides of the road.
Workers from several garment factories in the Padmar Mor and Bagbari areas of Savar’s Tetuljhora Union assembled to begin the movement. Later, workers from the AKH garment factory also came out of their factory shortly after reporting for work and took position on the Dhaka-bound lane of the Dhaka-Aricha highway.
Workers said the prices of essential commodities and the cost of living have increased abnormally. Surviving with a family on a wage of Tk 12,500 has become extremely difficult. Under these circumstances, they demanded setting the minimum monthly wage for garment workers at Tk 30,000, ending the illegal blacklisting of workers, and canceling unfair dismissals.
OC Asaduzzaman reported that additional police officers have been deployed in the area to prevent unwanted incidents and keep the law and order situation under control.
