Garment Workers Blocked Road in CEPZ over ‘Extortion’ and Fare Hike

Garment workers in the Chattogram Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) area staged a road blockade on Wednesday morning, alleging systematic extortion by local gangs.

The protest caused temporary traffic disruption on the busy thoroughfare. According to the agitating workers, a group of extortionists has long been targeting "reserve" vehicles that transport staff between the EPZ and Anwara. The workers claimed this forced collection of money creates financial hardship and a sense of insecurity.

However, EPZ Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Atiqur Rahman provided a different account of the incident. He stated that the protest was triggered by a sudden hike in transport fares.

"An argument broke out between the workers and the transport providers when the workers attempted to switch to a different vehicle service due to the increased costs," the OC said.

Police eventually persuaded the workers to vacate the road, and traffic flow returned to normal by midday. The authorities are currently monitoring the situation to prevent further unrest.