Dhaka, Sep 8 (IANS) Over 600 workers of a garment factory in Bangladesh staged a protest on Monday over unpaid wages, blocking the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.

The blockade brought traffic to a standstill, causing severe inconveniences to the commuters and the surrounding areas, the local media reported.

Confirming the development, Farukul Alam, inspector of the Gazipur Industrial Police’s Basan Zone, said that the traffic flow returned to normalcy in the area after the workers were persuaded to leave.

Subsequently, the workers entered the factory and met the authorities to push for their demands.

The workers claimed that their salaries for July and August are unpaid. They also alleged that with September passing by, their payments are still being repeatedly delayed citing holidays.

The non-payment of dues left many struggling to support their families and facing growing pressure from landlords over unpaid rent, Bangladesh’s leading newspaper Daily Star reported.

Last week, one worker was killed and 10 others were injured when clashes broke out between workers and law enforcement personnel in northern Bangladesh, amid protests against factory closure and layoffs.

The workers gathered in the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in the Nilphamari district of the Rangpur Division, during which they clashed with the security officials, local media reported.

Following the violent incident, Bangladesh’s Awami League party slammed the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government over the killing of an unarmed factory worker by gunfire during protests in Nilphamari.

Condemning the heinous act, the Awami League alleged that under the Yunus regime, Bangladesh has turned into a ceaseless river of blood, a reality which the people of the country are witnessing firsthand.

“This illegitimate, rootless regime treats any citizen who raises their voice for rights as an enemy. The strength of the masses terrifies them. That is why they rely on bullets to suppress those who stand up for justice,” read a statement issued by the Awami League.

The party highlighted that this is not an isolated incident, as before Nilphamari, workers were gunned down in other places while demanding their rights.

Rather than addressing their demands, the Awami League accused the “illegitimate” Yunus regime of silencing the voices of workers through violence.

Protests and strikes by workers over non-payment of dues and deteriorating working conditions have gripped the entire country since the interim government led by Yunus came to power in August 2024.

–IANS

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