Traffic in the capital’s Kuril area came to a standstill for more than four hours on Thursday after garment workers blocked the flyover there, demanding payment of arrears and allowances.
About 500 to 600 workers of Eurozone Fashion Garments began their demonstration at about 3:00pm by occupying both the incoming and outgoing roads at Kuril, causing vehicles on the Uttara-Badda-Rampura route to be stuck in long traffic congestion.
About 200 workers also blocked both sides of the airport road, intensifying the congestion.
Many commuters were forced to walk to their destinations, while air travellers faced significant difficulties in reaching the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
Social media platforms were flooded with updates from passengers on the road, some reporting that they had been stuck in the same spot for hours.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police additional deputy commissioner for the Gulshan traffic division Ziaur Rahman told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that the blockade had forced vehicles to be stranded on the flyover.
The situation further worsened as workers also took position at the entrance of the Elevated Expressway at Kuril, leading to congestion in the surrounding roads, he said.
The workers left the roads at about 7:30pm and the vehicular movement has become normal since then in the area, added the traffic official. Eurozone Fashion Garments managing director KG Morshed could not be reached for comments over phone.
On September 3, workers of the same factory had blocked the Kuril road, halting the vehicular movement on both sides of the road. They had then suspended their movement after the factory authorities assured them of paying arrears and allowances.
