Workers from two factories in the Ashulia industrial area of Savar staged protests on Saturday, blocking roads to voice various demands, prompting authorities to announce the closure of approximately 20 to 22 surrounding factories.
Despite workers peacefully returning to their jobs in the morning, production was halted in 16 out of 1,863 factories.
Ten factories were closed under Section 13(1) of the Labor Law, while six others declared general holidays, primarily affecting garment manufacturers.
Notable factories closed under the Labor Law include Lusaka Group’s Bake Knitwear Limited, Bake Sweater Limited, Mondol Knitwear Limited, and Envoy Group’s Envoy Fashion Limited, among others.
Additionally, other affected factories experiencing closures or worker departures include MangoTex Limited, Glorious Sun Fashion, Southern Garments Limited, and Skyline Garments Limited, bringing the total to 37 garment factories impacted.
Workers from Mondol Knitwear Limited protested in the morning, demanding the reopening of their factory and addressing allegations of worker abuse. They blocked the road from Baipail to Abdullahpur in the Ziraabo area.
During the protests, allegations surfaced that Rajib, the owner of Mondol Knitwear Limited, and his associates assaulted two workers, leading to a protest outside his residence and clashes with local residents.
In a parallel protest, workers from Lusaka Group’s factory blocked the road, demanding a minimum wage of Tk22,000 and Tk25,000 for operators. By 1:30pm, army and industrial police intervened to disperse the crowd.
A worker from Mondol Knitwear Limited expressed frustration, saying: “The owners assured us last Thursday that all our demands would be met. But today we find the factory closed indefinitely. We want answers, which is why we blocked the road.”
Superintendent of Police Mohammad Sarwar Alam from Industrial Police-1 confirmed that 16 factories in Savar and Ashulia are currently closed under the Labor Law.
He said that ten factories are closed indefinitely, while six have announced general holidays. The protests at Mondol and Lusaka Garments resulted in additional closures of 15 to 16 factories after a half day of work.
Workers from Lusaka Garments are demanding Tk22,000 for helpers and Tk25,000 for operators. Allegations of workers being hidden have been dismissed, and the situation is reported to be stabilizing, he added.
