The readymade garment (RMG) industrial areas of Savar, Ashulia, and Gazipur returned to normal on Wednesday, with most factories operational, although some were still closed.
According to sources, 34 factories were closed in Ashulia and Savar, while 26 factories were shut in Gazipur.
Factory closures in Savar and Ashulia due to protests
In Savar and Ashulia, one of the 34 closed factories, Anjuman Design Ltd, was shut under Section 13(1) of the Bangladesh Labour Act, which follows a “no work, no pay” rule.
The other 33 factories reopened but had to close again when workers refused to work or started protests.
Several well-known factories, including AR Jeans Producer Ltd, Generation Next Fashions Ltd, and Textown Ltd, were opened but later closed when workers left.
Despite these closures, 92% of the 407 factories in Savar and Ashulia remained operational. In Gazipur, 97% of the 876 factories were functioning.
Nationally, 97% of factories, or 2,085 out of 2,144, were operating normally.
Protests in Gazipur lead to factory closures and highway blockade
In Gazipur, 26 factories were declared closed after protesters started throwing bricks and other bric-a-brac from the road.
Several well-known factories such as Colombia Garments, Panaroma Garments, several factories of Crown, Euro, Day Apparels, and Interlink were closed.
Workers in Gazipur blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway on Wednesday morning, demanding the reinstatement of sacked workers and the recruitment of male workers.
The protest took place in the Bhogra area of Gazipur city, halting traffic and causing significant inconvenience for passengers.
Meanwhile, vehicular movement resumed on major roads in Ashulia, Savar, on Wednesday afternoon following a 53-hour road blockade. Protesting workers of Birds Group left the area following assurances from the army.
Workers from four factories under Birds Group had been holding protests for the past three days, leading to severe traffic congestion on major roads in the area.
They began blocking both highway lanes at Baipail Point at about 8am on Monday. Despite heavy rain later that night, they continued their blockade, which persisted through Tuesday and continued the following day.
According to sources familiar with the matter, about 2,000 aggrieved workers from Birds Group's four factories—Birds RNR Fashions, Birds Garments, Birds Fadrex, and Birds A and Z—blocked the road after the announcements of closures without settling outstanding dues.
The protesters said their dues were supposed to be settled on Monday, but when they arrived at the factory that morning, they found a notice indicating that the time to pay dues had been extended by three months.
BGMEA president discussion with law enforcement
BGMEA acting president Abdullah Hil Rakib said that although the workers' 18-point demands have been acknowledged, some factories have experienced disturbances due to false rumours and instigations from vested quarters.
BGMEA thanked and expressed gratitude to the joint forces for fully cooperating to maintain law and order in the RMG industry.
He said this while exchanging views with the Bangladesh Army, Industrial Police, DGFI, NSI, and BGB on the ongoing overall situation of the garment industry at the BGMEA Complex in Dhaka on Monday.
However, the number of such incidents is small. He added that whenever issues arise, the joint forces promptly intervene to resolve problems and ensure factory operations continue smoothly.
During the meeting, garment owners expressed concern that vested interests fuel the current unrest.
BGMEA appreciated the joint forces' assistance in maintaining operational stability and requested enhanced security measures to improve the law-and-order situation essential for industrial functioning.
They urged the joint forces to take action against those inciting disorder.
BGMEA calls for enhanced safety measures
On Monday, during a meeting with reporters, BGMEA stressed strengthening safety and security measures to keep their factory units operational amid ongoing labour unrest in Savar and Ashulia.
Even after addressing the workers' major demands, the factory units in the industrial hubs in the said areas witnessed closure declarations every day.
The manufacturers alleged that miscreants were trying to destabilize the sector and demanded stricter actions by law enforcers to address these challenges.
They sought the cooperation of law enforcement agencies along with the Army to help mitigate the situation.