Garment workers block Tejgaon road over unpaid dues

Police say the protesters occupied the Tibet intersection when they found the factory shut without prior notice

Workers of a garment factory in Dhaka’s Tejgaon Industrial Area have staged a protest on a key road for several hours, demanding that their dues be paid before the factory’s closure.

Police said employees of Posh Garments gathered at the Tibet intersection after 10am on Sunday when they found the factory shut without prior notice. They then took to the streets, halting traffic from Mohakhali to Saat Rasta.

“Since they remained adamant about their demand, they could not be removed from the road,” said Aslam Hossain, chief of Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station. The workers insisted that all outstanding wages must be cleared before the closure.

After talks with the factory owner and others, the workers were assured that a meeting would be held later on Sunday. Around 1:45pm, they lifted their blockade and traffic resumed, police said.

The protest caused severe congestion on the surrounding roads, disrupting traffic across the area. During the blockade, Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Gulshan Traffic Division posted on Facebook about the closure and advised commuters to use alternative routes.