Garment workers in Chattogram city blocked the Bayazid Bostami Polytechnic crossing demanding unpaid wages, causing severe traffic congestion and public suffering.
Md Kaiser Hamid, sub-inspector of Industrial Police, said that workers of Anwara Dress Makers Limited and Frank Apparels Limited blocked the road on Monday morning.
According to sources, workers of Anwara Dress Makers Limited initiated the protest over unpaid salaries from December in the past year. Factory authorities paid some workers half of their due wages on the day. However, the move fuelled discontent among the remaining unpaid workers.
Apart from administrative manager Mohammad Javed, no factory owners were present at the scene.
Workers alleged that the factory authorities had been delaying salary payments for a year, with no wages being paid in the past three months. They vowed not to lift the blockade unless they received assurance of full payment.
Personnel from the army, industrial police and Khulshi police station attempted to disperse the protesters.
Meanwhile, workers from Frank Apparels Limited joined the demonstration, reinforcing the demand for wage security.
The CMP deputy commissioner, North, Muhammad Faisal Ahmed said that authorities were working to resolve the issue through discussions.
