Workers protest in Gazipur for a whole day, 21 factories closed

Workers of a garment factory in the Malek's Bari area of Gazipur city protested and blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway for a whole day demanding their overdue salaries. This brought traffic to a standstill on both sides of the highway. Commuters on the highway suffered immensely. The protest, which began at 8:45 AM on Saturday, continued until 6 PM. Subsequently, 21 nearby factories were closed due to the workers' protest.

According to factory workers and police sources, there are five factories of the TJZ Apparels group in the Malek's Bari area of Gazipur Metropolitan. The factory authorities have closed the factories without paying the salaries and allowances of the workers. Six factories of the TJZ group have three months' salaries in arrears. The workers had been demanding their salaries for a long time. But the factory authorities did not pay them. Later, on Tuesday morning, the workers started gathering in front of the factory. At one stage, they blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway at the Columbia More area of Malek's Bari and staged a protest.

Upon receiving the news, the police and the army went to the scene and assured the workers that they would be paid their salaries, but the owner did not pay them their salaries. As a result, the workers gathered in front of the factory from 8 AM today. Later, from 8:45 AM, the workers blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway by occupying it. This created a long traffic jam on both sides of the highway, causing suffering to commuters. Many tried to take alternative routes. Many vehicles have been stuck since morning.

Safikul Islam, a factory worker, said, "We have not received our salaries and allowances for three months, even though they have been saying they will pay us. That's why we were forced to take to the streets." Another worker, named Suman Mia, said, "Even though the police and the army repeatedly gave dates for the payment of salaries, the factory authorities did not pay the workers' salaries. So we were forced to block the road. I will not leave the road until I get my salary."

Mohammad Sarowar Alam, the Superintendent of Police of Gazipur Industrial Area, said, "The factory owner has given us several times to pay the salaries. But the owner did not keep his word. A meeting was held at the BGMEA building with the owner, but he still did not pay the salaries. Even after talking to the workers, we could not find a solution throughout the day."

Sarowar Alam further said that 21 factories in the district were closed due to the protest of the workers of that factory.