Garment workers block highway to protest factory closure in Gazipur

Tensions have been brewing since Thursday when workers staged a work stoppage demanding Eid bonuses and a 10-day holiday

Workers have staged a demonstration on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway in Gazipur over the sudden closure of their factory.

The protest began around 8am on Saturday when workers from "Giant Knit Fashion Ltd" gathered in the Basan Police Station area and blocked both the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway and the Dhaka-Gazipur road after learning that their factory had been shut down indefinitely.

The blockade caused severe traffic congestion, leaving passengers and drivers stranded for more than an hour.

Police later dispersed the protesters and cleared the roads to restore traffic flow.

According to police and workers, the protest started on the Chowrasta-Joydebpur Road before the workers marched toward Vogra Bypass, prompting several factories in the Chandana-Chowrasta and Chowdhury Bari areas to announced closures.

Eventually, the workers blocked the highway again in front of Barsha Cinema Hall in the Chandana-Chowrasta area.

A worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said tensions had already been brewing since Thursday when workers staged a work stoppage demanding Eid bonuses and a 10-day holiday. The situation escalated into clashes between workers and management, leading to a police case and the arrest of several workers.

“On Saturday, when workers found the factory closed, they took to the streets in protest,” Superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police-2 AKM Zahirul Islam said.

As tensions grew, eight to 10 nearby factories also declared a holiday fearing unrest.

Later, authorities arrived and brought the situation under control.