A total of 88 garment factories remained open in the Ashulia industrial zone of Savar, Dhaka, on Friday, while the overall situation remained peaceful and normal.
Industrial police personnel were deployed at different locations as a precautionary measure.
The situation was observed during visits to Hemayetpur, Savar and different parts of Ashulia from Friday morning.
Industrial police said some factories normally operate on weekly holidays, particularly those facing urgent shipment deadlines. Workers joined their shifts peacefully at all 88 factories from the morning, with no reports of disorder.
Additional Superintendent of Police of Industrial Police-1 Shoaib Ahmed said factories generally remain closed on Fridays, but those with urgent operational requirements keep running.
Superintendent of Police of Industrial Police-1 Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan said police personnel were performing their regular duties across the industrial zone.
Khairul Mamun Mintu, legal affairs secretary of the Bangladesh Garments and Sweaters Workers Trade Union Centre, said some factories normally operate on weekly holidays to meet urgent requirements.
He said they had already urged workers to return to work peacefully and that the industrial zone had maintained a peaceful environment since Thursday.
“We expect the situation to remain peaceful as factories resume full-scale operations,” he said.
Mintu said a wage board had been formed and workers' demands and grievances over wages should now be addressed through discussions.
He said workers should return to their workplaces and keep production running while awaiting the wage board's decision.
However, he warned that fear among workers could make their return difficult.
He called for an end to alleged police searches and harassment at workers' homes, stressing the need to ensure their safety and a normal working environment.
