RMG workers block highways in Gazipur, N’ganj over unpaid wages

Workers of two separate ready-made garment factories in Gazipur and Narayaganj staged separate protests today by blocking highways over unpaid wages.

Around 150–200 workers of Shin Yuen Garments Co Ltd, locally known as Bulbul Knitting, in Gazipur blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway this morning, demanding arrears in wages and allowances. The protest caused a complete halt to traffic for nearly an hour, leaving passengers and drivers stranded in a long tailback.

The incident took place around 7am in the Dighirpar area under Basan Police Station, said Inspector Farukul Alam of Gazipur Industrial Police.

He said police intervention and assurances that their demands would be addressed led to the workers withdrawing the blockade at around 8:30am, restoring normal traffic movement.

Protesting workers said they were supposed to receive their August salaries, night allowances, meal allowances, incentive bonuses, and attendance bonuses on Wednesday (10 September), as per the owners' earlier promise. However, the payments were not made.

Workers alleged that the factory owner's mobile phone remained switched off, leaving the management unable to make any decision. Receiving no assurance despite repeated attempts, workers resorted to blocking the highway.

Police from the Industrial Police unit and Basan Police Station rushed to the scene.

Attempts to contact the factory authorities for comment were unsuccessful as the owner's phone remained switched off.

Meanwhile, Workers of ASBRM Steel and Re-Rolling Mill (Ambient Steel BD) in Rupganj, Narayanganj, blocked the Dhaka–Sylhet highway this afternoon, demanding three months of overdue wages.

The agitated workers blocked the road from 3pm to 5pm, triggering long tailbacks on both sides of the highway and causing hardship for long-haul vehicle drivers and passengers, said Inspector Selim Badsha of the industrial police.

Frustrated by three months of unpaid wages, around 400 workers of ASBRM Steel and Re-Rolling Mill first protested inside the factory before blocking the highway.

After talks with the industrial police, the management promised to pay one month's wages immediately and the remaining arrears by next Wednesday.

Inspector Badsha said that once the workers were assured of wage payments, they left the road.