Dhaka: Thousands of workers staged demonstrations and blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway on Saturday, demanding factory reopening, annual leave, due holiday payment, and bonuses. They blocked the highway for two hours, halting the movement of traffic and causing severe issues to the locals.
The workers of the Giant Knit garment factory in the Gazipur district of Dhaka division started the protest after seeing a factory closure notice in the morning.
Gazipur Industrial Police Sub-Inspector (SI) Faruk Hossain said that workers had already protested on Thursday over leave and bonus payments.
In response, the factory authorities issued a closure notice, the leading Bangladeshi daily, The Dhaka Tribune reported.
Despite multiple attempts to negotiate with the authorities regarding leave and bonuses, they found no resolution.
“We are struggling to survive with our families. Eid is approaching, yet we have no guarantee of our holiday payments and bonuses. The factory must reopen, and our dues must be paid immediately,” a protesting worker told The Daily Star.
Earlier this week, hundreds of workers blocked both the Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways at the Bhogra Bypass intersection in Gazipur over the issue of unpaid salaries.
The protests led to severe traffic snarls in the already-congested zone.The protestors alleged that over 300 workers have not received their salaries with the authorities delaying their pay without giving any valid reason.
Last week, workers of at least 15 garment factories in Gazipur’s Kaliakoir staged protests, blocking the Dhaka-Tangail highway over the closure of a factory and an alleged assault on workers, local media reported.
Bangladesh has the third highest percentage of low-paid workers among South Asian nations after Sri Lanka and Bhutan, according to a report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) released in November 2024. (IANS)
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