Worker unrest over a higher minimum wage in the RMG sector has once again heated up the Savar and Ashulia industrial zones near Dhaka.
On Wednesday (November 11), workers at several ready-made garment factories began work stoppages and protests from morning.
When some tried to block roads, clashes and running chases broke out with police. Officers used tear shells and sound grenades to disperse the crowds.
Several factories subsequently declared holidays.
In the morning, workers at most factories in Hemayetpur (Savar) and Jamgora (Ashulia) reported for duty as usual. However, workers at a number of plants began a work stoppage demanding a wage increase shortly after entering their workplaces.
Around 9:30 a.m., authorities at several factories in Ashulia’s Jamgora area announced holidays. Workers then left the factories, gathered on the roads, and attempted to stage blockades. This led to clashes and multiple rounds of chase and counter-chase with police.
Officers fired tear shells and sound grenades to disperse the workers and regain control.
A similar situation developed in Savar’s Hemayetpur area after 10 a.m. Workers from several factories came out and tried to block roads; police responded with tear shells and scattered them. No casualties have been reported so far.
An industrial police source said that while workers at a few factories are on strike and protesting, production continues normally at the majority of garment factories in the industrial zone.
Attempts to contact SP Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan of Industrial Police-1 for details on how many factories declared holidays and the overall situation were unsuccessful.