Protest Erupts at Jashore Software Technology Park Over Unpaid Salaries

Employees of online grocery shop Chaldal.com staged a protest at the Jashore Software Technology Park on Monday, 2 March, demanding payment of outstanding salaries. The workers halted operations in the morning, claiming they had not been paid from December to February of the current year. From around 11:30 a.m., they began demonstrating inside the park premises and within the office.

The situation escalated when the authorities issued a notice suspending afternoon shift operations, which further angered the employees. When workers who were outside the park attempted to enter, the park authorities closed the main gate. In response, protesters vandalized the main entrance.

Two employees were reportedly injured during the unrest. Police later arrived at the scene around noon and brought the situation under control.

According to the protesters, the online e-commerce company Chaldal.com began operations at the park in 2019 with grocery products. Its large call center operates on the 12th and 14th floors of the IT park, employing more than 800 workers. Despite attending work regularly, employees have not received salaries for the past three months. Most of them are students in Jessore city who work part-time while continuing their studies. Without salaries, they claim to be living in inhumane conditions.

Workers alleged that whenever they demand their wages, they are harassed. On Monday, when they sought payment, company officials reportedly confiscated their call center mobile phones and instructed them to resign. This prompted the immediate protest.

As demonstrators vandalized the park’s main gate, tensions spread throughout the area. Police and leaders of the park’s Investor Association later intervened to mediate and restore order.

Responding to questions about why salaries have not been paid, Mithun, focal person of Chaldal.com’s Jashore office, stated that due to a national crisis and the absence of new investment, it has not been possible to pay employees. He added that operations were suspended through a notice due to the commotion created by workers.

However, protesters said they would continue their movement until their outstanding salaries are paid.

Promi, an employee, said they had not demonstrated earlier despite months without pay but were now compelled to act due to extreme hardship. She noted that a large portion of the workforce consists of students who rely on their salaries to continue their education. Despite working regularly, they have not been paid, and when they request payment, they are told to leave their jobs. Even if they attempt to resign, their salaries are withheld, and they face various forms of harassment from officials.

Akash Akbar, employed as a Premium Care Associate, said he has not received salary from December to February. Although the company continues to provide assurances, no payment has been made. He emphasized that most employees are undergraduate students who depend on this income for their studies and have even been spending their own money on commuting to work.

Another employee, Azmir, stated that more than 800 workers are employed there, with individual salary arrears ranging from Tk 20,000 to Tk 50,000. He alleged that some workers were physically assaulted when they demanded payment. When they requested that salaries be paid before Eid-ul-Fitr, several employees were dismissed and their call center phones were taken away. He said the vandalism occurred after their peaceful protest was obstructed, and warned that they would not leave until their wages are paid.

Mohammad Shahajalal, General Secretary of the park’s Investor Association, said they visited the site upon hearing of the protest and learned that salaries had been unpaid for an extended period. The matter has been communicated to park authorities, and discussions with Chaldal officials are underway with assurances of a resolution.

Abhijit Sarkar, Assistant Director of Chaldal.com Jashore, said he has been working there since the beginning and that such salary delays had not occurred before. He attributed the crisis to poor business conditions and acknowledged that his own salary is also outstanding. He said the issue has been discussed with higher authorities, who are trying to resolve it quickly.

Inspector (Investigation) Kazi Babul Hossain of Kotwali Model Police Station said police were deployed to the scene upon receiving news of the protest and are taking steps to resolve the matter.

DBTech/RB/EK/OR