Following worker unrest over demands including a minimum wage of Tk30,000, authorities have declared a fresh closure of 21 garment factories in Gazipur.
Out of these, 13 factories were declared closed indefinitely on Saturday night, whilst the remaining eight factories announced a holiday on Sunday morning.
Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies maintain an alert presence across various areas to control worker discontent and ensure factory security.
On Sunday, workers took position and demonstrated on the Dhaka-Tangail highway in Mouchak and Konabari Signboard areas of Kaliakoir.
Upon receiving information, members of law enforcement forces arrived at the scene and removed them from the highway, during which incidents of chase and counter-chase occurred.
Sporadic worker unrest was also reported in Konabari, Jorun, and Kashimpur areas of Gazipur metropolis.
According to relevant sources, although workers entered factories to join work in the morning, they walked out without working while pressing various demands, bringing production to a halt in several units before management declared a holiday.
Under Section 13(1) of the Labour Act 2006, a total of 13 factories in Mouchak, Konabari, and the Pallibidyut area of Kaliakair – including Interstoff Apparels Limited – have been closed indefinitely.
Workers arriving for work were disappointed to find closure notices on factory gates and had to return without entering, with some waiting outside for extended periods without receiving confirmation on when operations would resume.
Gazipur houses approximately 2,100 garment factories, of which the vast majority maintain normal production operations outside those declared closed.
Mohammad Amjad Hossain, superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police, said that authorities declared 13 factories closed indefinitely under the labour law owing to continuous worker unrest, adding that management can reopen the units whenever they choose.
Md Shahidul Islam, officer-in-charge of Kaliakoir Police Station, informed that 51 leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League and Awami League at various levels were detained on charges of inciting agitation and committing vandalism, with legal measures being taken against them following an investigation.
To ensure factory security, law enforcement personnel, including 10 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and police, remain alert and active.
