Workers protest alleged deaths of 2 female workers at Gazipur factory

Workers of a factory in Gazipur's Sreepur upazila blocked the Maona-Barmi regional road today (25 June), alleging that two female workers died after being forced to work despite falling ill.

The protest programme took place at Color Co Limited in Tepirbari area under Telihati union of the upazila.

According to workers, a female worker named Liza Akter fell seriously ill last night, but the factory authorities did not allow her to leave. At one stage, she died while on duty, they alleged.

They also claimed that another female worker named Shova fell ill the same night and died on the way to hospital after she was taken there late.

As news of their co-workers' deaths spread, workers began protesting around 8am today and blocked the Maona-Barmi regional road. The blockade continued for around two and a half hours, creating a long tailback and causing severe suffering to commuters.

During the protest, the workers alleged excessive overtime, severe mental pressure and various forms of harassment at the factory. They demanded a safe and worker-friendly environment at the workplace.

On information, Sreepur police rushed to the spot and tried to calm the workers. The workers withdrew the blockade around 10:30am after police assured them that their demands would be addressed. Traffic movement on the road later returned to normal.

When contacted, Rashed, acting officer of Color Co Limited, initially declined to comment, citing his busy schedule. Asked whether he knew about the deaths of the workers, he said, "I was not there when the incident took place. I do not know anything about it."

However, he said some workers had staged a demonstration.

Sreepur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shahinur Alam said the body of a female worker was recovered this morning.

"The matter is being investigated with utmost importance to determine the actual cause of death, and necessary information is being collected," he said.

Sreepur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Nahid Bhuiyan said, "I heard that one worker died. When the workers started protesting in the morning, they were assured that the matter would be resolved through discussions, and they accepted it."

A meeting between the factory owners and workers will be held on Saturday, the UNO added.