Play store
SAVAR: Garment workers in Ashulia staged fresh protests and work stoppages on Thursday, pressing for a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000, an end to the blacklisting of workers and other demands. Production remained suspended at five garment factories, while police dispersed protesters after stones and bricks were thrown at a factory, detaining one worker.
While production continued normally at various factories in Savar, a section of workers in Ashulia renewed their protests over their nine-point demands.
The unrest began in different industrial areas of Ashulia on Thursday morning. A section of protesting workers gathered on several roads and attempted to stage demonstrations. However, upon seeing the presence of law enforcement personnel, they moved into nearby alleys.
At one point, stones and bricks were thrown at a garment factory, prompting police to rush to the scene and disperse the workers by chasing them. One worker was detained during the operation.
Police also detained Rakib Hasan, a worker at Next Wash Limited, a factory of Ha-Meem Group in Ashulia. However, details of the allegations against him were not immediately available.
Meanwhile, work stoppages were reported at at least five garment factories in Ashulia amid the labour unrest. In Savar, the authorities of a garment factory named Jeans Manufacturer declared a general holiday.
On the other hand, production continued normally at several garment factories in different industrial areas of Savar and Ashulia. The number of workers arriving at factories increased in the morning, with both male and female employees joining work at their scheduled times. Normal movement of vehicles and workers was also observed on various roads across the industrial belt.
Police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel remained on alert at key roads, factory premises and important points to maintain overall security in the industrial areas. Law enforcement patrols also continued in different locations.
Factory owners claimed that although many workers were entering their workplaces, some were not taking part in production activities. Others were reportedly marking their attendance before leaving the factories.
As a result, production has been disrupted at several factories for nearly two weeks, according to the owners.
Meanwhile, several factories have already issued closure notices under Section 13(1) of the Bangladesh Labour Act. The provision allows employers to close an establishment or part of it in the event of an illegal strike.
