Gazipur: Garment workers have left the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Gazipur after a continuous blockade of about 56 hours demanding three months' arrears. As traffic flow has returned to normal, relief has returned to ordinary passengers and transport workers.
The workers withdrew the agitation around 2 pm on Monday (November 11) after being assured of getting the arrears.
Earlier, last Saturday (November 9) workers of TNZ Apparels Limited factory started the agitation in Maleker Bari area of Gazipur metropolis demanding three months' arrears. At one stage, they blockeded the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway around 11 am that day. Since then, severe traffic jams have been created on this road, causing extreme public suffering. Transport drivers, passengers, people of different classes and students of schools and colleges plying on this route have suffered. The drivers left hundreds of vehicles stuck on the road. Upon receiving the news of the movement, members of each division of the law enforcement agencies, including the Gazipur Industrial Police, the Army, the Metropolitan Police, the Traffic Police, and others, went to the scene and tried to control the situation. However, the workers rejected their assurances and took a firm stand. Finally, around 2 pm on Monday, the workers withdrew the movement after the factory authorities assured them of paying their salaries.
Ibrahim Khan, Deputy Police Commissioner (Traffic) of the Gazipur Metropolitan Police, told Barta24.com that the workers withdrew the movement around 2 pm. Traffic has already started on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, which had been impassable for three days. However, there is a traffic jam for a few kilometers. Hopefully, the road will be cleared of traffic and normalized soon.