Industrial hub of Gazipur has been rendered immobile due to repeated worker protests and unrest.
Recent days have witnessed a spate of factory vandalism, arson, road blockades, and skirmishes. In response to the escalating violence, authorities have indefinitely closed 12 factories across various areas of Gazipur.
Additionally, 30 more factories have declared general holidays to maintain order.
From the morning of Thursday (12 September), these factories have been shut, with notices posted at each facility’s main entrance.
Earlier, on Wednesday (11 September) workers in Gazipur, Tongi, Pubail, and Sripur began striking and protesting over various demands.
In Tongi's BSCIC area, clashes between workers and management resulted in injuries to four workers. In the Poraabari and Mastarbari areas, workers from a garment factory, Virgo MH Limited, blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway after midday.
The situation deteriorated into a clash with locals, leading to significant damage to the factory.
In the afternoon of the same day, around 1:30pm, workers at the BigBags garment factory in Bhabanipur, under the Beximco Group, protested against 13 demands including full compliance with hiring regulations and mandatory government holidays.
The agitation led to arson in the factory’s chemical warehouse, and firefighters were obstructed and vandalised while attempting to control the blaze. With the assistance of local residents, the fire was eventually brought under control after four hours.
These incidents have resulted in severe traffic congestion on two major highways in Gazipur, with delays extending until midnight, causing widespread inconvenience to various sectors of society.
As a consequence of these disruptions, 12 factories, including Fomcom Fashion, Apparel-21 Limited, Fomcom Printing and Embroidery, Niagara Textile, and SM Knitwear Limited, have been closed indefinitely.
Gazipur Industrial Police 2 Superintendent Sarwar Alam, informed that approximately 30 factories have been declared on general leave since yesterday.
Efforts are underway to stabilise the situation, with measures being taken to regain control swiftly.
