A garment factory worker in Narayanganj has blocked the Dhaka-Chittagong highway in protest over the death of an ailing female worker.

On Monday (November 3), the aggrieved workers blocked the highway in front of the Larij Fashion Limited factory in Madanpur area of ​​Bandar upazila for at least three hours from 10 am to 1 pm.

This led to a severe traffic jam for several kilometers on the busiest highway.

It was learned from the aggrieved workers and the police that Rina, the operator of the factory’s swing section, fell ill last Sunday. She was later taken to a local hospital. From there, she was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where she died.

The factory workers alleged that the ailing woman did not get leave from the factory authorities. The woman’s physical condition deteriorated further while she was forced to work in the factory.

The workers started a protest on Monday morning by not joining work, alleging that the factory authorities were responsible for the death of the female worker and demanding the dismissal of the officials involved, said Liaqat Ali, officer-in-charge (OC) of Bandar Police Station.

‘The workers blocked the Dhaka-Chittagong highway in front of the factory since morning. We requested them to leave the highway peacefully. Around 12:30 pm, they calmed down a bit and left the road. As a result, traffic congestion began to normalize.’

Claiming that there was no negligence on the part of the factory authorities, an official of Lariz Fashion said, ‘She was taken to the hospital after informing about her illness. After talking to the family of the female worker, the factory has also taken all the responsibilities of her burial and shrouding.’

Industrial police members are holding discussions with the workers and the owners. A legal solution will be given to this issue, said Liaqat Ali, OC of Bandar Police Station.