Around 500 garment workers took to the streets for the fourth consecutive day on Wednesday demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk8,000.
Though most of the workers of the area went to work, some factory authorities have announced holiday for the day in a bid to avert violence, as they had done on previous day. Traffic on the Dhaka-Tangail Highway came to a standstill for nearly half an hour as the workers blocked the road at Konabari and Kaliakoir – Nabinagar highway at Chandra area. More than 100 factories were shut in the face of demonstration.
RMG workers threw bits and bats at the garment factories that were open in Kashempur-Konabari road area in Gazipur around 9:30am.
Police and local sources say some of the factories in the area opened Wednesday and workers joined as well.
However, workers of several factories in Konabari area came out and began demonstration to continue their demand for a wage hike.
Meanwhile, the protesters also brought out workers who were inside the factories. One of the factories was identified as Cotton Club Ltd.
On information, police went to the spot and fired few rounds of bullets in the air to disperse the crowd.
Later, the agitated workers took position in the nearby areas. The unrest halted communication in Chandra area for half an hour.
Meanwhile, workers of Maks Sweater and Mim Noon knitwear in Sinabah area of Kaliakoir vandalised factories.
Later, they formed a procession and marched to reach Shafipur Bazar before taking position on Dhaka-Tangail highway, resulting in suspension of vehicular movement. When it began raining half-an-hour later, the demonstrators left and traffic resumed to normal.
In Mauna area on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, under Shreepur Upazila of the district, workers of Asrotex Limited came out and began demonstrations. They blocked the highway for about an hour before police managed to disperse the crowd.
Police were deployed in the area to avert any major untoward situation.
Earlier on Tuesday, at least 20 workers were injured in clashes with law enforcers on the Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail highways, and Chandra and Sreepur areas of Gazipur.
Police charged batons, hurled rubber bullets and tear gas canisters in these areas to disperse the mob, who retaliated with stones and bricks.
