Chaldal employees storm software park in Jashore over unpaid wages

Employees of online grocery platform Chaldal staged a protest over unpaid wages at the Jashore Software Technology Park, where the company has an office, on Monday, reportedly resulting in vandalism and at least two injuries.

They continued their demonstration with a sit-in yesterday and submitted a 10-point list of demands to management, according to Prothom Alo.

Employees alleged that the company has withheld salaries for three to four months, prompting the demonstration.

"I have not received my salary for the last four months," said Khadeja Khatun, a former employee who joined the protest. "Despite repeated requests and negotiations, the issue remained unresolved. In the end, I was forced to resign from my job last month.”

Shakil Hasan, a current Chaldal employee, said workers felt compelled to protest after months of non-payment.

Protesters also alleged that on Monday, officials confiscated their mobile phones and pressured them to resign when they raised concerns about unpaid wages. The company subsequently declared a "general holiday" starting Tuesday (yesterday).

Tensions escalated when employees waiting outside the park attempted to enter but were blocked by park security. Protesters then forced their way through the gate, breaking it in the process.

Kazi Babul Hossain, investigation officer of Jashore Kotwali Police Station, said police were dispatched to the scene upon receiving information about the protest.

“We are talking to the authorities concerned and taking necessary steps to resolve the matter,” he added.

Mohammad Shahajalal, general secretary of the park’s investors’ association, said, “It is unfortunate that salaries have remained unpaid for such a long time. We have informed the park authorities, and they assured us that they would speak to the Chaldal.com management to resolve the issue.”

In a statement issued yesterday, Chaldal said salary payments are being cleared in phases and that employees have committed to return to work.

"The issue was caused by several economic factors beyond the control of management. However, we are working to actively resolve this and are in active conversation with various stakeholders," the statement added.

Chaldal.com, an online e-commerce platform dealing in grocery products, launched its operations at the IT park in 2019. The company operates a large call centre on the 12th and 14th floors of the park, employing more than 600 workers.