Thousands of workers on Sunday morning blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway after a security guard of a local ready-made garments (RMG) factory was hit and killed by a truck in Gazipur.

The agitated workers of “Mahmud Jeans” and “Nur Group” also set fire to the truck and vandalized some 40 vehicles present on the road.

The incident took place at around 7:50am in Gazipur's Kaliakair upazila, the Mahmud Jeans factory Manager Ghulam Mahmud.

The deceased has been identified as Azadul Haque, 35. He used to help the Mahmud Jeans factory workers to cross the highway as a guard.

Mahmud Jeans factory's security in-charge Abu Taher Faruki said on Sunday morning, Azadul was helping a group of workers to cross the highway. “Even though he had used signals for the vehicles to stop, one truck did not and ran him over.”

Azadul died instantly on the spot, Abu Taher Faruki added.

The security in-charge added that the truck driver managed to flee the scene after the incident. “Later, some 10,000 workers from Mahmud Jeans and Nur Group took position on the highway and vandalized 30-40 vehicles.”

Warehouse Inspector Saiful Islam of Kaliakair Fire Service and Civil Defence said they were chased by the agitated workers when they went to the highway after being informed of the fire.