Workers from two garment factories staged separate protests in Savar on Saturday, blocking regional roads to demand their unpaid wages and the reopening of their factories.
At noon, workers of Bashundhara Garments Limited in Tetuljhora union blocked the Singair-Hemayetpur road, demanding their pending salaries. Meanwhile, workers of the Apparel Chain in Ashulia obstructed the Bishmail-Zirabo road, protesting unpaid wages and the sudden closure of their factory.
Bashundhara Garments workers said they had not received their January wages or overtime payments despite promises to clear dues by February 20.
Instead, the management announced a general holiday until February 26, prompting the protest.
A worker said: "In the morning, we came to the factory for work and saw that the authorities had declared a general holiday until February 26. Despite setting a date, the January wages have not been paid yet.”
He added: “On top of that, without any discussion or informing us when the wages will be cleared, they suddenly announced a factory closure. That’s why the workers started protesting by blocking the Hemayetpur-Singair regional road from 9am, demanding their due wages."
Additional Superintendent of Industrial Police Sufian said that workers blocked the Hemayetpur-Singair road demanding their due wages. Later, after the factory authorities assured them that payments would be made by March 3, the workers withdrew the blockade around 1pm and returned home.
The Apparel Chain workers protested the factory’s abrupt layoff notice after a previous closure from February 9 to 20 over wage issues. Though their January salaries were eventually paid, the factory was put under layoff until April 6 without prior notice. Workers demanded either its reopening or full compensation.
A female factory worker said: “Eid is approaching. There is no justification for laying off the factory at this time. Either reopen the factory or settle all our dues and benefits before shutting it down. We have no other demands. We cannot remain in uncertainty for months like this.”
The Superintendent of Police of Industrial Police-1, Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan, said: "There had been ongoing issues at the Apparel Chain factory, including the matter of overdue wages. Although the issue of overdue wages was recently resolved, the management again declared a factory layoff.”
He added: “As a result, the workers began blocking the road from this morning. Later, we convinced the workers and proposed a meeting to resolve the issue tomorrow (Sunday). By around 1:45pm, the workers withdrew the roadblock and returned home. Now, traffic has resumed normal flow on both the Hemayetpur-Singair regional road and the Bishmail-Zirabo road in Savar."
