Over 55 readymade garment (RMG) factories remained shut in Ashulia and Gazipur on Monday as part of continuous unrest among the workers.
The RMG workers also staged angry protests blocking Dhaka-Tangail Highway, Dhaka-Mymensing Highway in Gazipur and different other roads in Ashulia.
Meanwhile, personnel from the Bangladesh Army detained six among the protesting workers in Gazipur on charges of ‘creating chaos on Dhaka-Tangail Highway'.
The workers have been protesting since around last three weeks with their various demands, including payment of due salaries, raising bonus and facilities.
According to sources in Ashulia, as many as 52 RMG units remained shut in Ashulia Industrial belt in face of protests started on Monday morning.
Md Sarwar Alam, superintendent of police at Ashulia Industrial Police-1, said 43 factories have been shut under the "no work, no pay" provision of the labour law.
Of the total closed units, 39 factories are members of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers andExporters Association (BGMEA) as the unrest lingers.
The industrial region saw workers protesting since the beginning of the month over various demands including a hike in incentives, allowances and other benefits.
Industrial police said production in the rest of the factories resumed smoothly since the beginning of the week.
However, workers from several factories resumed protests, demanding a minimum wage of Tk 25,000 among other demands, and disrupting operations. As a result, factory authorities have declared the closure of these factories.
In a separate incident, workers from the Generation Next factory in the Narsinghpur area blockaded the Abdullahpur-Bypail road this morning, demanding two months of unpaid wages and the reopening of their factory. The joint forces intervened and managed to disperse the workers from the road.
Security personnel from the joint forces have been deployed to ensure to contain the situation.
3 factories closed, 6 detained by Army in Gazipur
Several factories in Gazipur's Kaliakair, Sreepur, and Tongi areas were shut down following worker protests over wage hikes and other demands.
Thousands of factory workers took to the streets in the morning blocking the Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways, causing significant traffic disruptions.
The police and army dispersed the workers and detained at least six people on charges of creating unrest.
The detainees are Khokon Mia, Sohag Mia, Nazmul Mia, Ujjal Hossain, Shakil Ahmed, and Mubarak Hossain.
The authorities have announced the closure of three factories in separate areas of Kaliakoir. The closed factories include Mahmud Denims Ltd. in the Safipur Bazaar area, Iku Knit in the Baktarapur area, and Cokola Food Products Limited.
According to Industrial Police and factory workers, workers at Kokola Food Products Limited in the Mouchak area of Kaliakoir joined work in the morning. Around 10:30am, the workers suddenly began protesting inside the factory with 12 demands, including a minimum wage of Tk12,500, an attendance bonus of Tk800, and regular and annual leaves.
At one point, the agitated workers took positions on the Dhaka-Tangail highway and blocked the road. As the situation deteriorated, the factory management declared the factory closure.
Despite the closure announcement, workers continued their protests outside the factory and blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway
Some workers attempted to forcefully enter the closed factory.
Upon receiving the news, Industrial Police, local police, and army personnel rushed to the scene, chased the workers away, and brought the situation under control.
The army detained three individuals for entering the factory illegally and causing unrest. The army personnel then used a loudspeaker to instruct the workers to leave the factory premises.
Factory worker Abbas Uddin said that more than 5,000 workers work at their factory, and the minimum wage is Tk8,000.
"We cannot make ends meet with this amount, including paying rent and living expenses. That's why we've been demanding a minimum wage of Tk12,500 for a long time, but the management has taken no action and refuses to listen to us," he said.
Inspector Nitai Chandra Sarkar of Gazipur Industrial Police (Zone-2) said, "After the factory was declared closed, some unruly workers forcefully entered the factory, and the army detained a few of them. The workers also briefly blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway, but the situation is now under control."
Meanwhile, workers of a factory named Seasons Dresses Limited in Tongi's Ershad Nagar area protested on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, demanding three months of unpaid wages.
Additionally, workers of Golden Repeat Garments in Bager Bazar blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh road as part of their protest.
They entered the factory at 8am but did not start work rather gathered at the assembly point and demanded an increase in their attendance bonus, among other demands. By 9am they blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.
The workers presented a 12-point list of demands inside the factory. When the factory management did not make a decision on their demands, the workers blocked the highway.
Later, the management accepted eight out of their 12 demands, including attendance bonuses, tiffin bills, and night shift bills. Despite these concessions, the workers continued to block the highway, insisting on the acceptance of the remaining four demands.
Inspector Suman Mia of Gazipur Industrial Police's Bagher Bazar zone said that the workers have been protesting on the highway since morning, causing severe traffic congestion from Chandana Chowrasta to Mauna.
Additional Superintendent Md Imran Ahmed of Gazipur Industrial Police said, "I have been informed that the army has detained four people from Kaliakair. More detentions may have occurred. They are trying to arrest workers responsible for causing unrest in other locations as well."
