Workers of a readymade garment factory staged a protest on Wednesday, blocking the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway at Bhaluka, Mymensingh, demanding their arrears, Eid bonus, and annual leave payments.
The demonstration, which lasted from 11:30am to 2pm, caused heavy traffic congestion on both sides of the highway, leaving passengers and cargo vehicles stranded for hours.
The workers from Shepherd (Group) Jeans Limited said the factory management had promised to pay the dues on 10 March, but the payments were not made.
With Eid approaching, they expressed frustration over the lack of assurance from the management regarding when their salaries and bonuses would be cleared.
The workers also noted that they had previously staged protests to recover pending wages.
Traffic came to a standstill during the blockade, affecting long-distance buses, trucks, and other vehicles. Police from Bhaluka Police Station and the Industrial Police intervened to bring the situation under control.
Factory Managing Director Mokhlesur Rahman said the owners have held discussions and assured that the pending wages would be paid by Thursday.
Additional Superintendent of Police of Industrial Police-5, Gopinath Kanzilal, confirmed that talks with the factory management are ongoing and efforts are being made to restore normalcy quickly.
