Garment workers at several factories in the Ashulia industrial area of Dhaka continued protests on Wednesday, demanding a higher minimum wage after several days of unrest.
At one point, a section of the workers took to the streets and tried to block roads, leading to clashes and chases between workers and police. The situation remained tense in parts of the industrial areas.
Workers at factories in Hemayetpur in Savar and Jamgora in Ashulia initially entered their workplaces and joined their shifts as usual. Later, workers at several factories in both areas stopped work to press their demands.
Around 9:30 a.m., authorities at about 50 factories in Ashulia announced holidays after the stoppages. Workers left the factories and tried to block roads. Police fired tear gas and sound grenades to disperse them, setting off several rounds of clashes. Ashulia was relatively calm later in the day, although tension persisted.
A similar scene unfolded after 10 a.m. at Padmar Mor in Hemayetpur, Savar. Workers from several factories gathered on the streets and tried to block roads, and police fired tear gas. Workers there were demanding that nearby factories that had not announced holidays also be closed. No casualties had been reported in the incidents.
Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan, superintendent of Industrial Police-1, said around 1 p.m. that 40 to 50 factories had declared a general holiday. He said the overall situation in the industrial areas was calm, production was continuing at other factories and law enforcement agencies were on alert to prevent disorder.
A senior official of a garment group based in Ashulia, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said most factories in the Ashulia belt, apart from a handful, were closed. He said Sharmin Group declared a holiday at the start of the day, while a few factories, including Ha-Meem and Ananta, were still operating. He said the unrest was spreading from eight to 10 factories and preventing others from operating, and he criticized the government and police for failing to manage the situation.
