A sick female worker died after being denied leave. Her colleagues block the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway

Garment factory workers are incensed that 30-year-old Rina was not given leave despite her illness

Workers of a garment factory in Narayanganj have blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway following the death of one of their female colleagues.

They allege the woman had sought leave from the factory owners due to illness, but it was not approved. She was then compelled to work while sick and died.

Disgruntled workers blocked the highway in front of the “Lariz Fashion Limited” factory in the Madanpur area of Bandar Upazila for almost three hours starting from 10am on Monday.

This caused a severe traffic jam that stretched for a few kilometres on the highway.

The deceased worker, 30-year-old Rina, was an operator in the sewing section. She was the daughter of Dulal, a native of Kishoreganj’s Pakundia.

Bandar Police chief Liaquat Ali said, "The workers hold the factory authorities responsible for the death of the female worker at the Lariz Fashion Limited factory and demanded the dismissal of the officials involved."

“Under the circumstances, they did not join work and instead held protests. They blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway near the factory.”

He said, "We requested them to leave the highway peacefully. Later, around 12:30pm, the workers calmed down slightly and left the road. Traffic flow returned to normal after that."

As per the agitated workers and police, Rina fell ill on Sunday and was taken to a local hospital. She was later taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment, where she died.

Workers say she had sought leave from the factory authorities, but was compelled to work anyway, and her condition deteriorated.

When asked about the complaint, Mohammad Shimul, CEO of Lariz Fashion, said: "The worker was taken to the hospital after she reported her illness to us."

“The factory authorities spoke to her family and took on all the responsibilities for her burial.”

Officer Liaquat said industrial police have held discussions with the workers and factory owners, and a legal solution will be found.