Workers of a readymade garment factory at Dogormora under Savar, on the outskirts of the capital, blocked the Dhaka-Aricha Highway on Monday, demanding their arrears. Witnesses said the workers of Jalal Ahmed Knit Composite Ltd blocked the highway at Radio Colony point for about half an hour. On information, the police rushed to the spot and persuaded the workers to withdraw the blockade assuring them of paying arrears by Wednesday. Shilpi Akhter, Jhorna Begun, Rana, Kohinur and some other swing section workers of the factory said the management had told them that they would be given salaries of September, overtime and attendance bonus on Monday afternoon. But when the workers returned after lunch, the management did not pay them salaries, which caused agitation among the workers. The agitated workers immediately took to the streets and blocked the highway for half an hour. Md Harunur Rashid, chairman of the factory, said due to problem in shipment the workers were not paid in time. ‘On Wednesday, we will get money and pay the worker,’ he said. Md Zakaria Hosen, sub-inspector of Savar Model Police Station, said, ‘Additional police forces have been deployed in the area to avoid any untoward incident.’
