Nassa Group workers block Dhaka-Ctg Highway triggering hours-long tailback

Vehicular movement on the busy Dhaka-Chattogram highway came to a standstill for nearly two hours on Tuesday after workers of Nasa Group blocked the road in Cumilla, demanding payment of their outstanding dues.

According to witnesses, several hundred workers from the EPZ area gathered at Paduar Bazar around 10:00am and staged a demonstration on the highway. The protest quickly escalated into a blockade, halting traffic on one of the country’s key transport corridors.

The sudden disruption led to long tailbacks stretching several kilometres on both sides of the highway, leaving buses, trucks and private vehicles stranded. Passengers, including office-goers and long-distance travellers, were forced to wait for hours, while transport operators reported delays in deliveries.

Local sources said the workers had been demanding unpaid wages and other benefits for some time and took to the streets after failing to receive a clear response from the authorities concerned.

On receiving information, police from the Mainamati Highway Police Station rushed to the spot and began efforts to clear the road. Law enforcers held talks with the protesting workers and urged them to withdraw the blockade.

Officer-in-Charge Abdul Momin said the situation was brought under control through negotiations. “We assured them that their demands would be communicated to the authorities, and necessary steps would be taken,” he said.

Following the assurance, the workers lifted the blockade around 12:00pm, allowing traffic movement to gradually return to normal.

However, it took additional time for the long tailbacks to clear, with many vehicles still moving slowly even after the highway was reopened.

Source: UNB