Workers leave Airport Road after five hours of protest

Ready-made garment workers demanding implementation of minimum wage have blocked Dhaka’s Airport Road for five hours on Sunday. 

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 6 Jan 2019, 11:31 AM
Updated : 6 Jan 2019, 11:31 AM

Vehicles stuck in huge gridlocks because of the protest were slowly able to move ahead after the workers moved away from the vital intersection in front of Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 2:00pm.

The workers from various factories in Uttara said their protest will resume on Monday morning.

Hundreds of garment workers took to the street for implementation of minimum wage and other demands around 9:00am, said Mizanur Rahman, assistant commissioner of Airport Police.     

People headed to the airport to catch flights were seen in distress as some tried to make it to the airport on foot while carrying their luggage. 

Traffic came to a standstill on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway as the workers held demonstrations in the area between Uttara’s Azampur and Jasimuddin Road. The protest got bigger when workers from Uttar Khan and Dakkshin Khan joined in.

A group of workers blocked the airport intersection around 11:00am while the others demonstrated on the street linking the neighbourhoods in Jasim Uddin, Rajlakkhi, Azampur, House Building and Abdullahpur.

Shakhawat Hossain, an agitating worker, said his colleagues told him about the protest in the morning. 

“I didn’t know about the protest. Others came and told my office. That’s why I came here. We demand that our basic salary be raised from Tk 8,500 to Tk 10,500.”

The workers are subjected to ‘injustice’ which is the reason for taking to the streets, said Sumaiya, a worker at Epilion Garment in Chalaban, Dakkshin Khan.

“They were supposed to raise our salary but they haven’t done that. They have instead increased our work load. They even abuse us if we fail meet the target.”

“We can’t even use the toilet because of the work pressure. They abuse us both verbally and physically if we can’t meet the target,” said Mohamed Hasibur Rahman from Casiopia Garments.

A Mawa-bound bus by Prochesta Paribahan became stuck after it started off from the bus counter at House Building at 9.30am. 

They could reach near the airport through the small alleys but could not move further, said Dulal, the bus driver’s assistant.

“We cannot move ahead. They have blocked the road. Those who were supposed to go to nearby areas got off the bus but those who have to go further are sitting and waiting. We’re not sure if we would be able to move further.”