The factory fire took nearly four hours to control, while workers demanding a Tk30,000 minimum monthly wage and unpaid salaries blocked the highway before withdrawing after talks with police.
TBS Report
14 October, 2026, 07:55 pm
Last modified: 14 October, 2026, 08:04 pm
A fire at drug manufacturer Drug International Ltd's factory in Tongi's Cherag Ali and a road blockade by garment workers in Uttara's Azampur caused severe traffic congestion on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway today (14 October).
Long queues of vehicles stretched for several kilometres, leaving office-goers, students, long-distance bus passengers and drivers stranded. Many passengers got off buses and walked to their destinations, while emergency service vehicles also faced disruptions.
The fire broke out at the factory at 10:14am and was brought under control at 1:55pm, nearly three hours and 45 minutes later.
Meanwhile, workers from several garment factories blocked the highway in Azampur around 11am, demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk30,000, higher wages and payment of outstanding salaries. The blockade halted traffic on one side of the highway, worsening congestion on nearby roads.
Workers leave road after talks
The workers withdrew from the road around 1:30pm following discussions with police, allowing traffic to gradually resume.
At around 1:15pm, Uttara Division Additional Deputy Commissioner Md Al Amin Sarker told The Business Standard that one section of the road had reopened after talks with the workers. However, some protesters were still gathered near the Airport roundabout, and police were working to restore normal traffic.
Airport Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kamrul Hasan Talukder said several hundred workers had blocked the road between the airport and Jasimuddin area in the morning. Following intervention by police and the traffic division, they left the road at 1:30pm, after which traffic began to return to normal.
Uttara Traffic Division Additional Deputy Commissioner Rubel Haque said discussions with the workers helped bring the situation under control. Roads were cleared in phases to allow vehicles to move.
The workers said they had taken to the streets to press for a minimum monthly wage of Tk30,000 and other demands. The simultaneous mobilisation of workers from several factories created long queues on the highway and surrounding roads, with congestion spreading to the Airport Road, the bus rapid transit (BRT) lane and roads across several sectors of Uttara.