RMG workers protest, block roads in Ashulia, Gazipur over unpaid wages, lay-offs and co-worker's death

Ready-made garment (RMG) workers staged protests and blocked major roads in Ashulia and Gazipur today (12 March) over unpaid wages, the death of a co-worker, and sudden lay-offs, causing severe traffic congestion for hours amid Ramadan.

In Ashulia, workers from Mahmud Fashion Ltd blocked the Nabinagar-Chandra road near Baroipara area around 1:30pm, demanding overdue wages and Eid bonuses. Ashulia Industrial Police later intervened, dispersing the blockade after 2.5 hours using batons, teargas, and sound grenades.

"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," said Ashulia Industrial Police-1 Superintendent of Police Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan. 

He said, "Around 4pm, the workers were dispersed from Nabinagar-Chandra road. Traffic has returned to normal now."

He added that several police officers were injured by bricks thrown by the demonstrators.

Workers alleged that factory management had failed to pay February's wages, despite promising payment on 7 March. 

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a worker told TBS that the factory's staff were owed three months' salary also. "Additionally, wages, which were supposed to be paid on Tuesday, 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.

The worker said after waiting until 1pm, without any response from the authorities, frustrated workers blocked the road. 

However, some workers claimed that the factory owes them four months' wages, including two months from 2024.

In Gazipur's Sadar Upazila, workers blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway for 3.5 hours to protest the death of a fellow worker, Jannatul Ferdous Tamanna, 32, an employee of Golden Refit Garments Ltd.

The protests, which began at 8am near the factory premises, halted traffic on the highway around 9pm. Later it ended at around 12:30pm after police assured legal action against the responsible party, according to Gazipur Industrial Police-2 Superintendent of Police AKM Zahidul Islam.

According to police and worker sources, Tamanna was fatally struck by a truck near the Bagher Bazar area around 7am while on her way to work. 

Protesting workers alleged that Tamanna had requested leave from APM Matiur Rahman, a factory official, the previous night around 9pm due to her child's illness. However, her leave request was denied, and her factory-issued ID was confiscated before she was sent home.

The next morning, while returning to work, she was tragically killed in the accident. Enraged by the incident, workers staged the blockade demanding justice.

Meanwhile, in Gazipur's Kaliakair Upazila, workers blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway to protest the closure of Globus Garments Limited. 

The factory issued a notice stating the shutdown and lay-offs on Tuesday, which the workers saw this morning. Traffic was disrupted for hours until police dispersed the protesters around 10:30am, confirmed Gazipur Industrial Police SP Zahidul.

According to police and local sources, the factory had been shut down due to ongoing labour unrest, following allegations that workers were assaulted by staff on 8 March. Although disputes were resolved, the factory remained closed, leading to continuous protests. 

The management's lay-off notice on Tuesday, sparking renewed demonstrations today.