Workers from four factories of the Birds Group have been staging a blockade on the roads in Ashulia for nearly 48 hours, demanding the payment of outstanding wages and benefits.
Despite the ongoing protests, most factories in the industrial area have remained operational, with workers reported to be arriving on time for their shifts since the morning.
At approximately 9am on Wednesday (2 October), workers were seen occupying the roads in the Baipail area of Ashulia. This follows their decision on Monday morning to block the Nabinnagar-Chandra Road in the Burirbazar area of Baipail, where they are employed at the Birds Group’s four laid-off factories, resulting in a complete halt to traffic and significant congestion.
The workers have stated that the four Birds Group factories announced a lay-off on 28 August. They were supposed to receive their outstanding payments yesterday; however, upon arriving at the factory gates this morning, the workers found a notice indicating that the deadline for payment had been extended by three months. This led to their decision to block the roads in protest.
Four factories involved are Birds RNR Fashions Limited, Birds Garments, Birds Federex, and Birds A and Z Limited.
After the owners declared the factories closed without settling payments, the aggrieved workers took to the streets.
So far, there have been no reports of disorder in the industrial area, thanks to increased monitoring by law enforcement agencies to maintain overall public order.
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Md Shahinur Kabir stated, “They have blocked the roads for the past 48 hours. Consequently, all routes from Dhaka to northern Bengal and Khulna are closed. Traffic congestion has spread from Jahangirnagar University to Chandra, and there is also a traffic jam on Dharmarai Road and the Nabinnagar-Baipail route. In summary, all roads in the region are experiencing significant stagnation. They cannot continue to block the main road in this manner. We have counselled them, but they have not complied.”
He further remarked, “We have made numerous attempts to resolve the situation. We have spoken with the owners, who claim to have no funds available. They have stated that they will sell the factories to settle the payments. The authorities have also informed the workers about this. Nonetheless, all other factories are functioning normally.”
