Authorities were forced to close around 167 readymade garment factories on Wednesday in the industrial areas of Ashulia, Savar and Gazipur as labour unrest escalated despite increased deployment of law enforcement agencies, including military forces.
Businesses urged the government to address the ongoing unrest firmly, asserting that it was not the workers but outsiders who were attempting to destabilise the country鈥檚 export sector.
Bangladesh garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, however, decided that all garment factories across the country would remain open today as law enforcement agencies assured of required security in different industrial zones with strong joint operations from Wednesday night.
The association announced the decision on Wednesday following a meeting with large number of factory owners and high officials of Industrial Police and Army.
According to industry leaders, 49 factories in Zirabo to Bishmail area, 64 units in Zirabo to Baipail area, 10 units in Zirani, and 40 in Board Bazar in Gazipur were announced closed on Wednesday.
Following the fall of the Awami League government in the student-people uprising on August 5, there has been a surge in activities by various actors, mostly outsiders and sacked workers, seeking to establish dominance in industrial areas, industry insiders said.
In mid-August, the unrest unexpectedly spread to non-RMG sectors, including pharmaceuticals and ceramic industries, with various fresh demands.
Top business leaders met the chief adviser to the interim government and sought security of their industries.
They claimed that outsiders, who had no relations with industry and workers, were instigating the labour unrest.
Labor and employment adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan on Wednesday said that outsiders, including individuals affiliated with the both the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, were behind the labour unrests.
He warned about stern actions against the people involved in the unrest.
Asif made the announcement after a meeting on labour situation with the home adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury at the Bangladesh secretariat.
Factory owners said that operation in all the factories were started in the morning in a peaceful manner but outsiders started creating problems in the industrial areas at about 10:00am.
While workers continued their duties, 50鈥�60 outsiders were gathering in front of the factories and vandalising the gates, they said.
This group includes various troublemakers, such as teenage gangs and local miscreants, the factory owners claimed.
In these circumstances, factory owners were compelled to announce the closure of their units for Wednesday, they said.
BGMEA president Khandaker Rafiqul Islam said that outsider agitators created problems in the sector while internal factory issues were minimal.
At a press conference at the BGMEA office in Uttara Wednesday evening, he said that RMG factories would reopen Thursday, following assurances of support from law enforcement agencies.
Rafiqul said that the agencies, including the army, police, and industrial police, committed to control the situation and prevent any chaos.
He also said that law enforcement agencies were tasked with identifying and addressing the actions of outsiders.
BGMEA vice-president Abdullah Hill Rakib said that the protests have extended beyond the garment sector, affecting other industries as well.
He said that some of the disturbances involved groups such as teenage gangs and local troublemakers.
Despite these challenges, many factories have deployed volunteers to enhance security and safeguard operations, Rakib added.
Before the press conference, BGMEA leaders held a meeting with factory owners and top officials from law enforcement agencies, including the army, police, and industrial police.
Former BGMEA presidents Rubana Huq, Anwarul Alam Chowdhury, Anisur Rahman Sinha, Kutub Uddin Ahmed and Gulam Quddus, among others, were also present at the meeting.
In various areas of Gazipur, workers from several factories 鈥� including those in the clothing, pharmaceutical, and ceramic industries 鈥� protested Wednesday morning, 抖阴精品 Correspondent in Gazipur reported.
Workers blocked highways and roads to voice their demands, which included salary increases, better treatment from senior officials, reemployment of dismissed workers, fair hiring practices, and an end to the layoff of male workers without notice.
The protests led to significant traffic disruptions, causing inconvenience for passengers and the public.
At around 7:00am workers of the RAK Ceramic Factory began their demonstration by blocking the Dhaka鈥揗ymensingh Highway.
They presented an 11-point list of demands, including the removal of Indian officials from the factory, recruitment based on educational qualifications, and annual wage increments.
They, however, ended their roadblock and dispersed at about 11:00am after an army team had arrived at the scene, engaged in discussions with both the workers and factory authorities, and assured that their demands would be addressed.
Additional superintendent of Industrial Police SM Azizul Haque said that workers began protesting at various industrial establishments on Wednesday morning.
聽After discussions with factory authorities and assurances that their demands would be met, the workers eventually left the highway, and traffic resumed normal flow.
About 400鈥�500 people from a group called the 鈥楤angladesh Unemployed Organisation鈥� staged protests in the Gazipur bypass area.
They targeted factory gates, throwing brick chips and stones.
Workers of Uni Health Pharmaceuticals in Rajandrepur in Gazipur staged protests against wage disparities.
Workers from Transcom Beverage have been protesting since Tuesday, demanding a 20-point list of demands.
Gazipur Industrial Police additional superintendent Imran Ahmed confirmed that the workers left once factory authorities committed to discussing their demands.
抖阴精品 Staff Correspondent in Rajshahi reported that the workers of Sakoatex Limited in Rajshahi on Wednesday staged demonstrations at the factory demanding their arrears.
The workers said that about 300 of their fellows were not getting salaries regularly.
Sakoatex Limited, a sister concern of ENA Group, is located at Rajshahi BSCIC that mainly produces export oriented sweaters.
Awami League former lawmaker of Rajshahi-4 constituency Enamul Haque is the chairman of the Ena Group.
The workers alleged that Enamul Haque, who went into hiding after the fall of the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina amid the student-people uprising, failed to pay them regularly.
