Police in Dhaka on Thursday (October 17) dispersed garment workers from the Azampur area on the capital's Uttara section after a nearly four-hour road blockade that paralyzed traffic on the busy Dhaka-Mymensingh highway. The demonstration, which began at around 8:30 am, crippled vehicular movement across critical points of the highway, triggering severe gridlock from Uttara to the airport road and leaving commuters and office-goers stranded for hours.
Confirming the development, Officer-in-Charge (OC) Khalid Mansur of Uttara West Police Station stated that law enforcement personnel were forced to charge at the protesters and deploy sound grenades after repeated appeals to clear the thoroughfare went unheeded. By 11:45 am, authorities successfully cleared the roadway, allowing traffic to slowly resume.
The protest marked the third consecutive day of unrest by workers from multiple apparel factories demanding the settlement of overdue wages and a wage hike. Similar demonstrations were staged on Tuesday and Wednesday, severely disrupting transportation along the vital commercial corridor.
Protesting workers emphasized that soaring commodity prices have made survival nearly impossible on their current earnings. Demonstrator Akhter Hossain asserted that despite drawing repeated attention from relevant authorities regarding unpaid wages and livelihood demands, workers received no remedy, compelling them to take to the streets in desperation.
