Published : 19 Aug 2026, 08:16 PM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:34 AM
Hundreds of garment workers have blocked a road in Chattogram’s Aturar Depot area demanding compensation and other dues after being told that their factory was being sold.
The workers of Ettadee Jeans Limited began the blockade around 10:30am on Wednesday, bringing traffic on the Muradpur-Oxygen road to a halt and causing severe congestion in the area.
The protest continued for more than two hours, with several hundred workers still on the road around 1:15pm. Most of the protesters were women.
Workers said the factory authorities informed them about two weeks ago that the business had been sold to another company.
They said they subsequently expressed their intention to leave their jobs and demanded compensation and other benefits they believed were owed to them.
The situation became more complicated on Wednesday when the owner told police that the factory was no longer being sold.
The workers, however, refused to leave the road as discussions continued.
“They told us 15 days ago that the factory had been sold. Then they issued a notice saying it had been handed over to another owner,” a female worker said.
“They said at the time that they would pay us compensation. Now they are saying the factory hasn’t been sold. We have worked for this factory. Why should a new owner pay our dues? If they are to be paid, this owner should pay them.”
Chattogram Industrial Police Superintendent Mahmuda Begum said the workers were demanding compensation and other benefits because they believed the factory’s ownership was changing.
“But the owner has come and said he will not sell the garment factory,” she told bdnews24.com.
“We have asked the workers to sit with the owner in our presence and resolve their demands through discussion. But it appears there is no agreement among the workers’ leadership.”
Mahmuda said negotiations were continuing, with the workers at times indicating they had agreed to a proposal before later changing their position.
The protest has disrupted traffic in the area, and police have advised commuters to use alternative routes for the time being.
“We are trying to persuade them to leave the road,” Mahmuda said.
