Traffic resumed on the Dhaka-Tangail highway in Mouchak, Kaliakair, Gazipur, on Thursday after police dispersed garment workers protesting for higher wages.
Workers from several factories took up positions on the highway around 9:30am, bringing traffic to a standstill. Authorities at eight to nine garment factories subsequently declared a holiday for the day, starting around 11:30am, following the unrest.
According to Industrial Police, workers arrived at their respective factories in the morning but refused to join their shifts, staging protests inside the premises to demand a pay rise. Factory authorities then announced a holiday, prompting the workers to leave the premises and block the highway.
Several other factories in Mouchak and nearby areas also declared a holiday amid the unrest.
Police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel later reached the scene and used sound grenades to disperse the protesters and clear the highway. Traffic movement resumed, although vehicles were moving slowly due to congestion.
Kaliakair Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shahidul Islam said the workers had been removed from the highway and traffic had resumed, but congestion was slowing the movement of vehicles.
Gazipur Industrial Police Superintendent Mohammad Amjad Hossain confirmed that workers had blocked the highway in Mouchak earlier in the morning.
He said police dispersed them using sound grenades. Workers who attempted to gather in the Polli Bidyut and Jarun areas were also persuaded to leave.
Authorities declared a holiday at eight to nine garment factories following the protests, he added
