Huge traffic gridlock on Tuesday caused nightmares for commuters, especially office-goers, following road blockade on the ever-busy road in Motijheel and adjoining areas, by workers of a ready-made garment factory.
Long tailback created amid blockade in the busiest commercial area of the city around 8:30am.
According to witnesses, vehicular movement came to apparent standstill as the workers took to the streets from the starting of the day.
Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka TribuneOffice-goers suffered the most in the morning.
A private office employee said that he had to walk to Motijheel Shapla Chattar from Raju Bhaban in the morning to reach his destination amid traffic gridlock. Public transport and other vehicles could not come in Motijheel Shapla Chattar area due to the protest.
It has been found during a visit in Motijheel Shapla Chattar, Arambagh, Kamalapur, Fakirapool intersection, Dainik Bangla, Paltan and Kakrail areas, severe traffic jams have been created. There is no way for traffic movement.
The vehicles, left in front of Motijheel Janata Bank, are coming out through Kakrail via Dainik Bangla intersection and Fakirapool intersection, said an on-duty police officer at Fakirapool traffic box adding that this has increased traffic congestion in these areas.
Kamalapur-railway bound people also were experiencing untold suffering and they were seen walking with their bags and baggage under the sun to reach the station on time amid traffic jams.
Several hundred workers of Olio Apparels Limited blocked the roads protesting sudden closure of the factory and withdrawal of the authorities' decision of relocation of their factory.
Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka TribuneThe authorities announced a sudden closure on Tuesday. The factory is said to have been closed by the owner for relocation.
However, the workers protested against the decision and demanded their unpaid wages.
The protesting workers claimed that they have been working in the factory for a long time. Earlier, they were informed that the factory would be relocated to Dakhsin Khan.
However, it was said that they will be notified one month prior to relocation all dues will be paid.
Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka TribuneBut, the authorities closed the factory without any prior notice, they claimed.
Motijheel Division Additional Deputy Commissioner Enamul Haque Mithu confirmed the matter around 11:30 am.
The police official said that since morning the workers have been protesting by blocking the road in front of Notre Dame from Motijheel intersection to Arambagh.
Additional police have been deployed to avoid any untoward incident.
Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka TribuneEnamul Haque Mithu said that they have contacted the authorities of the garment owners.
“We are trying to normalize the situation,” he said.
Shehrin Salam Oishee, a director of Envoy Group, which owns Olio Apparels Limited, and also a director of the BGMEA, said the company was relocating the factory to Uttara as it could not maintain all the conditions required for compliance while being inside the city.
She said as the new factory would be outside the city, the company might not accommodate all the workers who worked at the Kamalapur unit. “But they all have been paid their due wages,” she added.
Meanwhile, according to a source from the workers unions, a conciliation meeting was held at the BGMEA office, Uttara, Dhaka, on Monday night regarding labour-related matters of Olio Apparels Ltd.
Dhaka Tribune obtained a copy of the minutes of the meeting from the mentioned source, who requested anonymity.
The meeting was chaired by Munsoor Khaled, senior additional secretary (CMC) of the BGMEA, where Abul Hossain, joint secretary (CMC) of BGMEA, was present from the BGMEA side, Md Moniruzzaman, labour inspector (SA) of DIFE (Dhaka District), was present from the government side, while AKM Siddiqur Rahman, head of HR of the factory, along with other officials, was present from the factory side.
Workers' representative from two workers union and 35 workers were also present.
According to the meeting minutes, as the factory is in a rented building, the Fire Service, RSC, and buyers continuously put forward objections over non-compliance and DIFE imposed restrictions on the operations of the factory, and then the authorities decided to relocate the factory to the new address -- Chalabon of Uttara -- on Tuesday.
After a detailed discussion in the meeting, the decisions were taken unanimously including the payment of basic wages, service benefit and other payment for workers from various ranges.
Moreover, earned leave pay (if due), maternity leave, etc will be paid in accordance with labor law.
Moreover, no workers will be sued or harassed by the police and no pictures will be given on the internet.
After clearing all the said dues, if any worker wishes to resume employment at the shifted address, he or she can join the employment afresh.
In addition, the factory authorities shall pay all the above deposits from BGMEA Complex in Uttara on Saturday.
The source said factory representatives, workers' representatives, governmental representatives and BGMEA representatives signed the conciliation paper unanimously.
He also said that maybe a number of workers were unaware about the conciliation paper.
