Workers of Birds Group are continuing their demonstration blocking Nabinagar-Chandra highway for the second consecutive day today, causing a 15-kilometre traffic jam on the road. Following the blockade, the traffic congestion now spread from Nabinagar to Jirani and from Nabinagar to BPATC on the Dhaka-Aricha highway, our Savar correspondent reports quoting Dhaka North Traffic Inspector (Admin) Hossain Shahid Chowdhury. The workers of Birds Group in Ashulia industrial area blocked the highway since 9:00am yesterday, demanding arrears and reopening of the factory.
However, most garment factories in the industrial belt are operational today, though workers at some factories have not joined yet, according to a source at the industrial police. Abu Bakar Siddique, officer-in-charge (OC) of Ashulia Police Station, said that senior army officers are in contact with the factory owners to resolve the issue. Khairul Mamun Mintu, legal affairs secretary of the Bangladesh Garments and Sweater Workers Trade Union Centre, told The Daily Star that a meeting involving the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, the workers, and the owners was held at the Directorate of Factory and Institution Inspection.
According to the meeting's decision, Birds Group was supposed to pay the workers their dues yesterday, but they failed to do so. Asked, BGMEA senior vice president Abdullah Heel Rakib today said the Birds Group owners were asked yesterday to pay the workers arrears but the.