Mirpur road blocked for 1.5 hours as workers demand unpaid wages, overtime bills

Workers ended the blockade after the management promised to pay the dues by Thursday, police say

Workers of a readymade garment factory in Mirpur’s Pallabi have demonstrated by blocking the road for one and a half hours demanding their unpaid wages and overtime allowances.

Several hundred employees of “SM Fashion” took to the streets at Mirpur-11 around 1:30pm on Tuesday, bringing vehicular movement to a standstill.

The protesters vacated the road around 3pm following police mediation.

Pallabi Police chief AKM Alamgir Jahan said the situation became normal after the employer promised to clear the dues by Thursday.

"The workers’ representatives and the management held a meeting in our presence. They withdrew the blockade after receiving the assurance," he said.

The workers, based at the factory in Section-7, alleged that the management had failed to pay their salaries and overtime dues for January.

Police noted that the factory pays its staff regularly.

The delay of a month’s wages during the month of Ramadan forced the workers to take to the streets, he added.