Labour unrest swept through Gazipur as thousands of Beximco workers blocked the Chandra-Nabinagar highway, demanding the reopening of 16 closed factories within the Kashimpur area.
The protest, which escalated into violence, saw vehicles set ablaze and nearby shops vandalised, bringing traffic on the major thoroughfare to a complete halt on Wednesday (22 January) afternoon.
Despite efforts by industrial police, metropolitan police, and army personnel to disperse the crowd, the protesters refused to clear the highway, maintaining their stance as of 6:30pm, according to reports from the scene.
The aggrieved workers, once employed in factories under the Beximco Industrial Park, expressed their frustrations over unpaid wages, halted banking services, and the closure of Letters of Credit (LCs).
Their demands also included the immediate reopening of all shuttered facilities.
The factory closures, announced in December 2024, affected approximately 42,000 workers, marking a significant blow to the local economy.
The factories, owned by Salman F Rahman, a former adviser to the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, were shuttered following loan defaults and a dearth of orders.
Interim government had previously provided financial assistance to cover wages but ultimately deemed the operations unsustainable.
The protest turned violent as demonstrators vandalised vehicles stranded in the traffic and attacked shops.
Vehicles, including a bus, a truck, and a pickup van, were set on fire, police confirmed.
Tear gas and sound grenades were deployed to manage the situation, said Rajib Hossain, inspector of Gazipur Industrial Police-2.
Journalists covering the event were not spared.
This is not the first instance of unrest.
Workers had previously staged demonstrations, including a road blockade on 21 December and a human chain spanning 11km on 14 January 2025.
The situation underscores the deep-seated grievances of Gazipur’s industrial workforce and the challenges facing the nation's textile sector amidst economic downturns.
