Garment workers blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway in Savar on Wednesday morning, triggering severe traffic congestion along nearly two kilometres of the highway and causing suffering to thousands of commuters.

The blockade began around 9:00AM in the Hemayetpur bus stand area, triggering severe traffic congestion along nearly two kilometres of the highway and causing suffering to thousands of commuters.

As of 9:20AM, the workers were still occupying the highway and staging demonstrations.

The protesters said the rising cost of living had made it increasingly difficult for them to support their families on the existing monthly minimum wage of Tk 12,500. They demanded that the minimum wage for garment workers be raised to Tk 30,000, illegal blacklisting of workers be stopped and unjustified dismissals be cancelled.

According to police, workers from several garment factories gathered at Padmar Mor in Tetuljhora Union in the morning to press their demands. Workers of AKH Garment Factory initially joined their duties but later walked out of the factory and took position on the Dhaka-Aricha highway, enforcing the blockade.

Savar Highway Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Asaduzzaman Noor said workers had blocked the highway over their three-point demands. Additional police personnel had been deployed to prevent any untoward incident, he added.