Joint forces patrol restores stability in Savar-Ashulia industrial area

After days of unrest, the situation in the Savar-Ashulia industrial area has been calm due to intensified patrolling by joint forces.

No reports of untoward incidents have been received from any part of the industrial zone as of Tuesday (3 September).

However, it has been reported that several factories remain closed.

According to the Industrial Police, workers have resumed their duties in most factories, although a few remain shut.

Despite continuous worker protests and road blockades over the past few days, no activities by workers or outsiders have been observed since Tuesday morning.

In various areas of the industrial zone, members of the army, Industrial Police, and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were seen patrolling the roads.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, workers of a garment factory in Shimultola, Ashulia, staged a sit-in in front of the factory’s main gate and across from a nearby shopping centre, demanding the reopening of the factory.

Workers stated that the management terminated four female supervisors and a lineman last Saturday. The next day, Sunday, the factory was closed. At around 1:30am Monday night, workers learned that the management was removing machinery and other equipment from the factory by truck. In response, they gathered in front of the factory at dawn.

At around 8am, soldiers patrolling the area spoke with the workers and assured them that they would discuss the issue with the factory management. The soldiers also requested the workers to refrain from any activities that could lead to a deterioration of law and order, such as road blockades.

By 10am, several workers were seen positioned in front of the factory's main gate, while around 50 workers were gathered across the road at the shopping centre. A closure notice was posted on the factory gate.

One worker said, "The owner dismissed the supervisors and lineman and then shut down the factory on Sunday. Later, we heard that they were removing the equipment by truck. We now demand the reopening of the factory. It's time for our wages, but we don’t know when we will be paid if the factory remains closed."

Meanwhile, the Naba Knit Composite Limited factory in Shimultola, Ashulia, was also found closed. Similarly, the Gildan Bangladesh garment factory in Palashbari was seen shut. In the morning, when workers arrived at the NASA Group factory, the management declared a holiday due to the lack of work.

Md Mintu, a security guard at the Gildan Bangladesh factory, said, "All our factories are closed indefinitely. The workers have been protesting with various demands over the past few days. Today (Tuesday), no one has come."

Anwar Parvez, Executive Director (Public Relations) of BEPZA, said, "There are a total of 86 industrial factories in the old and expanded zones of DEPZ. Work is proceeding peacefully in all of them."

Superintendent of Industrial Police-1 Mohammad Sarwar Alam, said, "The situation in Savar and Ashulia is normal today. Workers have reported for duty on time, and no unpleasant incidents have been reported. The factory management has granted leave in a few factories where workers did not work. A list is being prepared to determine the number of closed and holiday-declared factories, but the number is not high."

In recent days, workers in the Savar-Ashulia industrial zone have been protesting with demands including wage hikes, attendance bonuses, halting worker layoffs, and new hirings.

In response to this situation, Home Adviser Lt Gen (Retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury ordered a joint operation by the army, police, and Industrial Police on Monday to ensure the security of the industrial factories and take action against those inciting unrest.

Earlier, on Monday (2 September) afternoon, during a meeting with the advisor, leaders of the two garment industry owners' associations, BGMEA and BKMEA, demanded strong measures for industrial security. 

The directive for the joint operation came from that meeting, after which the situation in the Savar-Ashulia industrial zone began to stabilise.