Workers in the garment industry have been holding protests over several demands, while dismissed workers and job seekers have blocked roads, demanding equal opportunities for men and women in employment in recent days.
Several factories have been vandalized during these protests, leading to unrest in the Gazipur industrial area. This instability has also spread to other sectors such as pharmaceuticals and food.
What began as workers protesting over wages and employment conditions has escalated into larger disruptions, with allegations of external influence, with factory owners and labour leaders pointing to a third party, possibly tied to political interests, fuelling the instability.
Many factories have faced disruptions as external actors fuel protests and violence.
45 factories declared closed in Gazipur
Following the protests, 45 factories in Gazipur were declared closed last week. In addition, one factory of Square Pharmaceuticals remains shut. At the same time, 11 garment factories in Gazipur were vandalized, and two were looted, according to information from the Industrial Police and Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
Garment workers told Dhaka Tribune that their demands included gender equality in recruitment and non-discrimination in wages and benefits.
Workers from other industries, such as pharmaceuticals, shoes and ceramics, have also joined the protests, causing unrest in multiple sectors. However, all factories have reopened this week.
On Monday, workers of Garments Export Village Ltd and Bravo Apparel observed a second day of strikes, demanding their August wages and other issues through a 13-point charter.
Workers emphasized the need to end harassment and abuses, and they demanded that the compliance department not remain under company control.
Industrial Police Assistant Superintendent Mosharraf Hossain said the issue was resolved after discussions between worker representatives and factory owners.
Factory owners have expressed frustration, noting that since the student movement, police have not intervened, which has led to disorganized protests, with workers blocking highways and engaging in altercations at factory entrances.
They say peaceful workers are being coerced into joining the unrest, and factories not involved in the protests are being vandalized.
Owners believe a third party is fuelling the protests but remain unwilling to name anyone.
Who is leading the protests?
When asked who was leading the protests, Jewel Rana, a worker at Mondol Intimates in the Bagher Bazar area, said a few individuals claiming to be labour leaders had approached workers to join the protests but added that they were unfamiliar to the workers.
Nupur Akter, another worker at the same factory, said: "If we refuse to join the protests, young boys attack the factory. These attackers do not seem like workers.”
Kulsum Akter, a worker at Golden Refit Garments Ltd in the same area, echoed these concerns, saying workers did not recognize the boys leading the protests. “If we resist them, our factories are vandalized.”
Saiful Alam, president of the Gazipur metropolitan committee of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation, said the protests were being fuelled by a third party, possibly due to conflicts over factory ownership or BGMEA leadership, as well as control over the jhut business.
He said their original demands had been about worker rations, the repeal of unjust laws and the establishment of labour laws, but new demands had since emerged.
Several factory owners, speaking on condition of anonymity, said each factory’s workers were raising different demands, suggesting that the protests were uncoordinated.
Zakir Hossain, managing director of Fardar Fashions Ltd, said women workers tended to be more focused, and as a result, employers prioritized hiring women.
He added that many factories had reduced hiring due to a lack of work orders.
Ziaul Kabir Khokon, president of the Bangladesh Garment Workers Trade Union Centre’s Gazipur chapter, said some of the workers' demands were reasonable and longstanding.
“However, it is unclear where or how they are being organized. It is mainly dismissed workers who are leading the protests. A certain group is trying to incite workers to create unrest in the garment industry in order to gain control of it."
Several people involved in the garment industry told Dhaka Tribune that after the fall of a government, leaders of opposition parties often incited workers to protect their interests in the jhut business.
They added that workers were also trying to take advantage of this opportunity.
Blacklisted workers had become active, and several factories had unpaid wages for months, contributing to the protests, they said.
Instability across industries
On Saturday, workers at Jenphar Bangladesh, an affiliate of Radiant Pharmaceuticals Limited, held a protest in front of their factory, claiming that the factory violated labour laws and alleging mistreatment by HR Manager Azizullah Abed.
Despite their longstanding demands, the issues remained unresolved, leading them to take to the streets, they said.
Industrial Police Inspector Saiful Islam said that on September 3, workers at Bata Shoe Company Limited in Tongi protested for an eight-point list of demands.
A senior official at Ibn Sina Pharmaceutical in Kaliakoir, who did not want to give his name, said workers were mimicking protests they had seen at other factories, exploiting the “weak” law enforcement situation. Temporary employees with political backing were instigating the unrest, and the administration was struggling to contain it, he added.
Industrial Police Inspector Rayhan Mia said talks with workers had led to resolutions in most factories, although many demands were unreasonable.
All factories in Gazipur had now reopened, and workers had resumed peaceful operations, he added.
Meanwhile, Industrial Police Assistant Superintendent Golam Morshed Khan said while the situation had calmed down, sporadic protests continued at a few factories, which was not unusual.
