Police disperse protesting RMG workers from Nabinagar-Chandra road

Industrial Police used batons, teargas shells, and sound grenades to disperse the protesting ready-made garment (RMG) workers demanding unpaid wages and Eid bonuses from the Nabinagar-Chandra road in Ashulia's Baroipara area today (12 March).

"Around 4:00pm, the workers of Mahmud Fashion Ltd were dispersed from Nabinagar-Chandra road after 2.5 hours. Traffic has returned to normal now," Ashulia Industrial Police-1 Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan told The Business Standard.

The SP said, "Despite repeated requests to clear the road, the workers refused to withdraw their blockade. To restore order and ease public suffering, we were forced to chase them with batons and fire several rounds of teargas shells and sound grenades to disperse them."

"Several police officers were injured by bricks thrown by the demonstrators," he added.

Around 1:30pm, they block the Nabinagar-Chandra demanding their overdue wages and Eid bonuses.

Due to the blockade, traffic on the road came to a standstill, causing severe congestion.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a worker told TBS that the factory management had promised to pay February's wages on 7 March but failed to do so. Staff were owed three months' salary arrears also. "Additionally, wages, which were supposed to be paid yesterday, remained unpaid."

"The management had assured that today's payment would include salaries and an update on workers' dues, but instead, they left the factory before noon without addressing the workers," he added.

After waiting until 1:00pm without any response from the authorities, frustrated workers blocked the road.

However, some workers allege they are owed four months' wages, including two months from 2024.