Garment workers protest in Narayanganj, block Dhaka-Munshiganj road

“We have gone to so many people, but no one has found us a solution. That is why we have taken to the streets,” a protester says

Workers at two garment factories owned by the ‘Crony Group’ in the Narayanganj BSCIC Industrial Area are holding protests to demand unpaid wages

Several hundred workers took to the streets around 10:30am on Monday and blocked the Dhaka-Munshiganj regional road.

Factory authorities in the BSCIC Industrial Area have declared a holiday for most factory workers after a group of protesters entered the BSCIC Industrial Area and vandalised several factories.

Mostafizur Rahman, a BSCIC Industrial City official, said: “There are 432 factories in the Narayanganj BSCIC Industrial Area. In the face of worker unrest, most of the factories have declared a holiday before lunch.”

Shaheeda Akhtar, a garment worker at the ‘R-4’ factory, said around 11:30am: “Our lunch break is at 12:30pm. After some factories were vandalised, they got scared and declared a holiday.”

Police and BGB personnel have taken up positions in the area to control the unrest.

Jahanara, a worker in the sewing section of the Crony Group’s Abanti Colour Tex Garment Factory identified with a single name, said: “Since last year, the factory owner has been avoiding paying salaries. My salary is due from last August. The factory suddenly announced layoffs last month without paying our wages.”

“We have gone to so many people, but no one has found us a solution. That is why we have taken to the streets.”

There was unrest over unpaid salaries at two Crony Group factories in December last year. In April, workers from Abanti Colour Tex staged a protest for their back pay. At least 60 people were injured during a clash between workers and the police.