Published : 15 Oct 2026, 12:25 PM
Updated : 15 Oct 2026, 12:25 PM
Police have deployed sound grenades to disperse factory workers who blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway in Gazipur's Sreepur to demand back pay.
Workers of C Stage BD Limited took up positions on the highway in the MC Bazar area of Mulaid village around 8:30am on Thursday, said Gazipur Industrial Police-2 Superintendent Mohammad Amjad Hossain.
Traffic resumed about an hour later after police used several sound grenades to clear the road, he said.
Protesting workers Tariqul, Mafuz and Hasmat Ali said they had previously demonstrated on Oct 10 over unpaid September wages.
They said the factory authorities had promised to clear the arrears by Oct 13 but failed to make the payment.
The workers alleged that the authorities continued to delay payment, prompting them to renew their protest.
The factory also declared Thursday a holiday.
Workers subsequently blocked the highway, causing long tailbacks in both directions.
Industrial Police officers arrived and asked the protesters to clear the road, offering to discuss their wage demands with the factory owners.
When the workers refused to leave, police used sound grenades to disperse them.
"We offered to discuss the matter with the owners and requested them to move away from the highway. But they did not respond and continued to block it. So we used a few sound grenades to clear the road," Amjad said.
He said a decision on the outstanding wages would be made after discussions with the factory owners.
Amjad also rejected an allegation that machinery had been removed from the factory, saying the claim was not true.
