Jute workers in Khulna blocked a section of the Khulna-Jashore Highway on Thursday for the third consecutive day, demanding the unconditional withdrawal of restrictions on raw jute exports and compensation for workers who lost their jobs following the suspension of exports.
The workers, under the banner of the Daulatpur Jute Press and Baling Workers’ Union, took to the streets around 10:00am and blocked the highway from Religate to Daulatpur in the city.
A large number of women also joined the protest in solidarity with the workers. They brought out processions and occupied the highway alongside the demonstrators.
The protesters placed logs and bamboo poles on the road, disrupting vehicular movement and causing severe suffering for commuters as vehicles remained stranded on both sides of the highway.
The blockade continued for more than two hours before the workers withdrew it at around 12:30pm.
The protesting workers said the Ministry of Textiles and Jute imposed a ban on raw jute exports on 8 September last year, effectively halting overseas shipments.
They claimed the suspension left hundreds of thousands of press and baling workers in Khulna and Narayanganj unemployed.
The workers said they and their families are going through severe financial hardship as work has remained suspended for months.
They also noted that Daulatpur is one of the country’s major jute export processing zones, where a large number of workers depend on the sector for their livelihoods.
The demonstrators further alleged that a notification issued by the Ministry of Textiles and Jute on 17 May reiterated that raw jute exports would remain banned, prompting them to intensify their movement.
The workers warned that they would continue their protests until their demands are met.
