Death of DNCC cleaner in road accident sparks protests, crippling traffic in Dhaka

The flow of traffic into the city via Gabtoli was halted as sanitation workers blocked the key thoroughfare

The death of a cleaner employed by Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) in a road accident has triggered heated protests by her colleagues as they occupied the streets of the capital's Gabtoli for over three hours.

Consequently, the flow of traffic into Dhaka through Gabtoli was completely halted from 6am-9:30am on Thursday. The effects of the disruption on the key thoroughfare rippled across the city, resulting in snarl-ups stretching all the way to Asad Gate.

The sanitation worker was run over and killed by a speeding pickup on the Gabtoli-Deepnagar road about 150 metres south of the Gabtoli Bus Terminal early on Thursday morning, according to Assistant Commissioner Mofizur Rahman Palash of the Dhaka Metropolice Police Darus Salam zone.

The victim was identified as 45-year-old Amena Begum.

Shortly after the incident, hundreds of DNCC cleaners descended on the Dhaka-Aricha highway, bringing traffic on both sides of the road to a grinding halt.

Senior officers from the DMP Mirpur Division went to the scene in an effort to defuse tensions. However, the cleaners vowed to continue protesting until their demands, which include provision of risk allowances, were met.

Assistant Commissioner Mofizur said that two additional police platoons were deployed at Gabtoli to ensure order was maintained.

DNCC officials later arrived and engaged in discussions with the workers. By 10:30am, the protesters had cleared the streets, allowing traffic movement to resume.

"Upon receiving the news, I went to the spot. The cleaners had obstructed the road in protest. After a discussion with them, they agreed to disperse, and traffic flow was restored," said Captain Mohammad Fida Hasan, DNCC's chief waste management officer.