RMG workers block road for arrears in Mirpur

Thousands of workers of Zaara Jeans and Knitwear Limited, a readymade garment factory in Mirpur, Dhaka, blocked an important thoroughfare in the area for six hours on Saturday, demanding payment of their arrears.

The workers of Zaara Jeans and Knitwear Limited blocked the road in front of Sony Cinema Hall early in the morning, creating huge traffic jam from Gabtoli to Mirpur 10.

Thousands of workers from Zaara Jeans and Knitwear Limited block road in Mirpur, demanding payment of their arrears on Saturday. Photo: Saikat Bhadra/TBS

Alamin, one of the protesters, said: we were supposed to get our two month's salary and payments for overtime on September 11, according to the promises made by the factory authority; however, after the Ashura holiday, as we came back to the factory, we found the factory closed. And it has been close since"

"Since then, we have not been able to locate even the factory owner. over the last three days, we tried in many ways to resolve the issue, but all in vain; thereby, we had no other option, but to take the issue to the streets," he said.

Upon his visit to Mirpur on Sunday, this reporter witnessed a huge traffic jam from Agargaon to Mirpur-2, owing to the blockade by the protesting garments workers from Zaara Jeans and Knitwear.

Saleh Uddin Ahmed, the officer-in-charge at the Shah Ali Police Station in Mirpur, said, "We tried to calm down the protesters. We have been able to locate the whereabouts of the factory owner; and now we are trying to resolve the issue between the two parties." 

Ruhul Amin Sagar, the additional deputy commissioner of police (Mirpur division), told The Business Standard that the members of the law and enforcement agency located, Riadul Islam Raju, the factory owner, on the 9th floor of the factory building.

"A meeting is being held in the building between the owner and protesters to resolve the payment issue," he said.