The Bangladesh Army, police and industrial police in Savar, Ashulia and Gazipur launched a joint operation on Monday night to safeguard the ready-made garment (RMG) industries.
Bangladesh Garments Manufacturing & Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Khandaker Rafiqul Islam on Monday told journalists after a meeting at the Secretariat that Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (retd) M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury issued a directive in this regard.
The decision was taken in a meeting of the BGMEA and BKMEA with the home affairs adviser on Monday afternoon.
At the meeting, the home adviser said the army, police, and industrial police should take swift action to bring those involved in creating chaos under the law by Monday night.
He also asked the factory owners to keep all their establishments open from today (Tuesday) to keep the wheels of the economy moving.
Earlier on Monday, workers seeking jobs were protesting in Ashulia by blocking the Nabinagar-Chandra and Baipail-Abdullahpur roads, demanding equal employment opportunities for men and women in RMG factories, among other demands.
The workers gathered in front of various factories along the Dhaka EPZ and Baipail-Abdullahpur roads to begin their demonstration for employment on Monday morning.
At one point, the protesting workers placed barricades at various points on the Nabinagar-Chandra and Baipail-Abdullahpur roads. They started throwing bricks and stones at the factories, causing severe traffic congestion.
At least 30 factories in the area were forced to declare a holiday amid the protests, according to the industrial police.
While the industrial police and army members managed to clear the Baipail-Abdullahpur road of barricades, the blockade in front of DEPZ on the Nabinagar-Chandra road remained.
"Workers are protesting for employment. They also demand equal employment rates for men and women in garment factories, among other demands," Md Sarwar Alam, the superintendent of industrial police-1, said over phone.
"With the help of army members, we managed to free the Baipail-Abdullahpur road from the blockade, but barricades in front of the DEPZ are still there. Due to the situation, among the factories on either side of the road, at least 30 factories, including Hamim Group and Sharmin Group, have announced a holiday," he added.
Sarwar said law enforcers had been continuing efforts to resolve the issue.
