Over 50 Factories Shut Amid Fresh Labour Protests in Gazipur, Ashulia and Savar

Industrial areas in Gazipur, Ashulia and Savar have once again become tense as garment workers staged protests demanding a minimum wage of Tk 30,000, an end to what they described as unjustified blacklisting, reinstatement of dismissed workers and the release of arrested workers. More than 100 garment factories have declared holidays amid the unrest.

Gazipur: Md Delwar Hossain reports that authorities declared general holidays at 18 factories in the Gazipur industrial area to prevent any untoward incidents amid workers’ protests and tensions. The holidays were announced at around 10:30am yesterday. Additional law enforcement personnel were deployed to maintain order.

Protesting workers blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway at Naojor for some time and urged workers from nearby factories to join them. As workers from other factories began gathering, the situation became more tense. Authorities subsequently declared holidays at 18 factories in Naojor, Itahata, Chandana Chowrasta and Bhogra Bypass.

Although many workers returned home after the announcement, some continued their protests on the highway. They marched from Naojor to Bhogra Bypass. Additional security personnel remained on alert. Alongside police, 13 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), 25 executive magistrates and members of intelligence agencies were deployed.

Around noon, workers from SM Garments and Esrotex in Shirirchala, Gazipur Sadar, left their factories and threw bricks and stones at Golden Refit Garments in Bagher Bazar. They also vandalised several CCTV cameras outside the factory. The authorities later declared a holiday there. Six factories in Gazipur Sadar also announced holidays amid fears of further unrest.

Gazipur Industrial Police-2 Superintendent of Police Amzad Hossain said workers at two factories in Kashimpur and Jarun had stopped work and started protesting. They later tried to bring workers from nearby factories into the movement. Authorities consequently declared holidays at 12 factories in Kashimpur, Jarun and Naojor.

Gazipur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ashik Saeed said the industrial area’s situation had been normal in the morning. However, authorities declared holidays at 18 factories to prevent any untoward incidents. Industrial police, regular police, BGB, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Ansar and intelligence agencies were jointly working to maintain order.

Ashulia: Selim Ahmed reports from Savar that garment workers blocked roads in Jamgora, Ashulia, on Tuesday morning after a few days’ break in the protests. Clashes and chases took place between workers and police. Police fired rubber bullets, tear gas shells and sound grenades to disperse the protesters. Several workers and police personnel were injured. Two workers hit by rubber bullets were taken to hospital.

According to eyewitnesses, police and workers, employees entered their respective factories and punched their attendance cards at the scheduled time. However, workers at several factories, including Envoy, Hollywood, The Rose and Next Collection of Ha-Meem Group, observed work stoppages to press their demands.

At around 10:30am, workers blocked the Baipail-Abdullahpur road in Jamgora. Police initially tried to persuade them to leave the road. However, clashes broke out after workers allegedly threw bricks and stones at police. Police then fired rubber bullets, tear gas shells and sound grenades to disperse them.

The injured workers were identified as Mosammat Razia Begum, a sewing machine operator, and Alamgir Hossain, a finishing department operator at Sterling Styles Limited. They were taken to a nearby women and children’s hospital.

Razia Begum said they were returning home peacefully after their factory declared a general holiday when police suddenly fired tear gas shells and rubber bullets at them.

Harun Or Rashid, operations manager of Ashulia Women and Children Hospital, said two garment workers had received treatment for rubber bullet injuries. Razia Begum sustained a head injury and was referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital after receiving initial treatment. Alamgir Hossain left after receiving primary treatment.

Khairul Mamun Mintu, legal affairs secretary of Bangladesh Garment and Sweater Workers Trade Union Centre, said workers at New Age factory in Narsinghpur found an indefinite closure notice at the main gate when they arrived for work in the morning. They began protesting against the closure, prompting nearby factories to declare holidays amid fears of unrest. He alleged that police fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells at workers in Beron as they were returning home, leaving several injured.

Superintendent of Police of Ashulia Industrial Police-1 Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan said workers tried to create disorder and threw bricks and stones at police when asked to leave the area. Police responded with tear gas and baton charges, injuring two workers. He also said four to five police personnel were injured by stones thrown by workers.

He added that more than 100 garment factories had declared a one-day general holiday to maintain normalcy. Additional police personnel and BGB members were deployed across the industrial area to prevent further incidents.