Dhaka, March 11 -- Authorities have declared a holiday at 10 garment factories after workers blocked highways in Gazipur's Tongi and Kaliakair in protest over unpaid wages and alleged attacks on colleagues.

Workers have since ended their blockade of the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway in Tongi and the Dhaka-Tangail Highway in Kaliakair Upazila, allowing traffic to resume on Tuesday morning, according to Gazipur Industrial Police Superintendent AKM Zahirul Islam.

Protesters barricaded and occupied the highways from 8am to press for various demands. The blockades resulted in severe traffic congestion, said Zahirul.

Law enforcement subsequently intervened to restore order.

"By 11am, we managed to convince the workers to clear the highways, and ...