Thousands of readymade garment (RMG) workers blocked major roads in Dhaka’s Mirpur and the Dhaka-Tangail highway in Gazipur on Sunday morning, demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk.30,000.
In Dhaka the workers from several factories gathered at the Mirpur-10 roundabout around 9:00 AM, bringing vehicular movement to a standstill and causing severe traffic congestion across adjacent areas. Traffic police diverted vehicles to alternative routes to ease public suffering. This marks the third day of demonstrations in Mirpur following similar road blockades on Thursday and Saturday.
Meanwhile, in Gazipur, workers in Konabari and Kashimpur refrained from joining work and began protesting on the Dhaka-Tangail highway around 8:00 AM. The blockade created a massive traffic jam stretching from the Chandana Chourasta bypass to Chandra. Anxious crowds watched as angry protesters set fire to a traffic police box and lit fires on the highway in Konabari.
Industrial and highway police officials confirmed that efforts are ongoing to negotiate with the workers and restore normalcy. Protesters reiterated that they will continue demonstrations until their demand for a Tk.30,000 minimum wage is met.
