Textile workers block Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Narsingdi over persistent power outages

Textile workers in the Madhabdi area of Narsingdi Sadar Upazila staged a protest against persistent power outages on Sunday, surrounding the local Rural Electrification Board office and blocking the Dhaka-Sylhet highway.

The demonstration, which involved hundreds of workers, began at 9:30 a.m. and lasted until 11:30 a.m. The blockade brought traffic to a standstill for approximately three kilometers along the highway, causing significant delays for long-distance commuters and local travelers.

The situation was brought under control following the arrival of Narsingdi Sadar Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Meftaul Hasan and Madhabdi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kamal Hossain. Authorities held discussions with both the protesting laborers and Rural Electrification Board officials. The workers dispersed and cleared the highway after receiving assurances that power supply conditions would be normalized within one week.

Workers stated that frequent and prolonged load-shedding has severely hampered production at Madhabdi’s textile factories. According to the protesters, power is available for only eight to nine hours out of every 24-hour cycle, which has led to a sharp decline in their earnings. The workers are demanding a stable and consistent electricity supply to restore factory operations and their own wages.

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A laborer identified as Aman Ullah explained that reduced production due to power shortages has resulted in significantly lower wages compared to standard periods. He warned that if the situation does not improve, the workers will be forced to take further collective action. He also urged authorities to provide a clear schedule for planned power cuts if outages are unavoidable.

Responding to the grievances, Mohsin Kabir, Deputy General Manager of the Narsingdi Rural Electrification Association-1, described the outages as a national issue rather than a local failure. He emphasized that the disruptions are not intentional and assured that the association is working with senior officials to restore normalcy to the Madhabdi area within the next seven days.