Khulna workers block road for 3rd straight day

KHULNA, May 21 (UNB): Jute workers in Khulna blocked a road for the third consecutive day on Thursday, demanding the unconditional withdrawal of the ban on raw jute exports and compensation for workers who lost their jobs due to the suspension of exports.

The workers-under the banner of the Daulatpur Jute Press and Baling Workers' Union-took to the Khulna-Jashore Highway around 10:00am and blocked the stretch from Religate to Daulatpur in the city.

A large number of women also joined the demonstrations in support of the movement, staging protest marches and occupying the highway alongside the workers.

Workers placed logs and bamboo poles on the road, halting vehicular movement and causing suffering for commuters as vehicles remained stranded on both sides of the highway. They withdrew the blockade after an hour, around 11:00am. The protesting workers said the Ministry of Textiles and Jute imposed a ban on raw jute exports on September 8 last year, effectively halting overseas shipments.