Workers of defunct Lenny Fashions and Lenny Apparels factories ended their 32-hour-long protest on Wednesday evening after receiving assurances from the Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (BEPZA).
The withdrawal of the demonstration has allowed traffic on the Nabinagar-Chandra highway to return to normal.
The protest began on Tuesday morning when workers gathered at the Dhaka EPZ (Export Processing Zone) demanding overdue wages and benefits. They blocked the Nabinagar-Chandra highway, causing significant disruption to traffic. The workers claimed that the factories had closed in 2021, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, without paying wages or settling dues as per labor laws.
Despite a tentative payment deadline of November 30, the workers were dissatisfied due to a lack of formal notice and staged their protest. They vowed not to leave the highway without a clear resolution.
On Wednesday evening, BEPZA issued an official notice signed by Executive Director Mohammad Ahsan Kabir, stating that all dues owed to the workers would be cleared by February 28, 2025. The notice urged workers to remain patient while the legal and administrative processes, including the sale of the factories, were completed.
Following this assurance, the protesting workers withdrew their blockade and left the highway around 5 PM.
The protest caused widespread disruptions in the Dhaka EPZ area. Workers from other factories in the old EPZ zone reported difficulties in accessing their workplaces due to the blockade. However, operations in the new EPZ zone remained unaffected.
BEPZA's Public Relations officer Anwar Parvez explained that the workers had been informed about the legal processes and assured that their dues would be settled promptly once the factories were sold.
Ashulia Industrial Police Superintendent Sarwar Alam confirmed that the protest ended peacefully without any untoward incidents. He added that the authorities had held multiple discussions with worker representatives to resolve the issue amicably.
The peaceful resolution of the protest marks a temporary respite for the workers. However, with a deadline set for February 2025, the authorities must ensure timely action to uphold their commitments and prevent further unrest.
Traffic on the Nabinagar-Chandra highway has now fully resumed.
