Garment workers staged protests at multiple locations in Gazipur on Tuesday morning, demanding the restoration of their jobs.
The aggrieved workers gathered in areas such as Bhogra Bypass, Chandana, Hazir Pukur, Maleker Bari, and the Signboard area of Gazipur metropolis, blocking the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and disrupting traffic.
They were demanding equal employment opportunities for male workers alongside female workers in various garment factories.
During the protests, five policemen, including Industrial Police ASP Mosaraf Hossain, were injured by bricks thrown by the workers. The situation was eventually brought under control after army personnel arrived at the scene.
According to factory workers and the industrial police, the protesters were expressing frustration over being dismissed from their jobs for what they claimed were trivial reasons.
They reported that they have been unable to find new employment, leading them to demand their jobs back.
The workers vowed to continue their movement until their demands are met.
Additional Superintendent of Police Imran Hossain of Gazipur Industrial Police said that the protests began in the early morning, with dismissed workers from various garment factories blocking the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and obstructing the movement of vehicles.
When police arrived to disperse the crowd, the protesters responded with brick-pelting, injuring five officers. The situation was only brought under control after the army intervened, he added.