Workers of NASSA Group blocked a key road in the capital on Monday, demanding payment of outstanding wages, causing severe traffic congestion and disrupting vehicular movement for around two and a half hours.

According to police, around 200-250 workers took position on the Tejgaon-Gulshan Link Road crossing of the Mahakhali-Satrasta road about 4:30pm and staged a demonstration to press for their demand.

The protests halted traffic on the busy route and triggered gridlock on surrounding roads, including the Mahakhali-Satrasta road and Tejgaon-Gulshan Link Road.

The blockade continued until the evening when police and relevant authorities persuaded the workers to leave the roadway. Subsequently, traffic resumed after 7:00pm.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station Mahbubur Rahman said the workers received all dues, including wages, before Eid and were currently demanding payment of one month's outstanding salary.

“The workers took to the streets demanding their unpaid salary be paid. Police were deployed at the scene and efforts were made to convince them to clear the road,” he said.

The OC also said the group's principal owners are currently in jail in connection with various cases, leaving no effective representatives from the management side available for discussions to resolve the issue.

“Even then, we tried our best to bring the situation under control,” he said, adding that after negotiations, the workers withdrew the blockade, allowing traffic to return to normal.