C T Online Desk: Outsourced workers from various government institutions have blocked roads at Shahbagh intersection in the capital, demanding the nationalization of their jobs.
Due to the roadblock by these workers, severe traffic congestion has been reported in and around the Shahbagh area.
The workers began the blockade at 10am on Saturday. Around that time, hundreds of employees gathered at Shahbagh and halted traffic.
Many passengers were seen getting off buses and walking to their destinations.
Under the banner of “Anti-Discrimination Outsourcing Movement,” outsourced workers from various government and autonomous institutions demanded the abolition of outsourcing practices in all types of jobs.
The protesters are calling for the immediate permanent employment of all outsourced workers. They have warned of continuous protests if their demands are not met.
A protester from Sylhet said: “Nationalization of jobs is our one-point demand. We will continue our movement until our demands are met.”
Rahel Raihan, an outsourced employee of the Department of Women Affairs, said: “We are paid on a daily attendance basis. Since the job is temporary, we live in uncertainty. We are dismissed at any moment. We want job security and permanent employment. Outsourcing is a discriminatory system. We demand the abolition of this practice.”
Participating in the Shahbagh blockade, Jahanara Begum, an employee of Bakhrabad Gas Company, said: “Today, we will continue the program all day to press for our demands. If our demands are not met, we will be forced to take continuous action. We will return home only when the outsourcing system is abolished, and our jobs are made permanent.”
When asked about the incident, Md Khalid Monsur, officer-in-charge (OC) of Shahbagh police station, said: “Since the morning, outsourced workers from government institutions have been staging a roadblock in the Shahbagh area, demanding the nationalization of their jobs. This blockade has caused severe traffic congestion in and around Shahbagh. We are on-site to control the situation.”
