The situation in the Ashulia and Gazipur industrial zones on Tuesday improved on the whole even though workers blocked two highways, demanding payment of their wages and allowances that remained overdue at some factories.
According to industry owners, most factories in the Ashulia industrial zone resumed production on Tuesday morning, operating smoothly, except for 31 factories in the zone which includes Ashulia, Savar and Zirani areas.
The workers from Birds Group, meanwhile, continued their blockade of the Nabinagar-Chandra highway that began on Monday morning, demanding their wages and benefits.
The blockade was continuing as of 9:00pm on Tuesday when this report was filed.
Birds Group authorities announced the closure of the factory on August 27 and signed an agreement with the workers to pay their wages and benefits by September 30.
But on September 29, the factory authorities issued a notice postponing the payment date by three months.
The notice prompted the workers to take to the streets again blocking the Nabinagar-Chandra highway on Monday morning, causing thousands of vehicles to remain stranded for hour after hour.
According to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters association, out of the 31 closed factories in the Ashulia zone, seven units enforced the 鈥榥o work no pay鈥� provision under the Section 13(1) of Bangladesh Labour Act, while some others announced holiday with pay, and few others聽 ceased production shortly after opening due to unrest.
A worker at a Mango Tex Limited factory at Ashulia was killed during clashes with the joint forces in that area on Monday, amid sporadic confrontations between workers and law enforcers that left several others injured.
Protesting at his killing, the students of Jahangirnagar University on Tuesday blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway.
抖阴精品 Jahangirnagar University correspondent reported that the protesters under the banner of Jahangirnagar University Students gathered in front of the Central Shaheed Minar on its campus at about 12:30pm on Tuesday and marched towards the highway.
The protesters chanted slogans against the interim government for the law enforcers鈥� use of guns to quell the workers鈥� protest.
They took position on the highway adjacent to the university鈥檚 main entrance at聽 about 1:15pm and lifted the blockade about 40 minutes later.
A protesting student Sohagi Samia said, 鈥楾he workers also raised their voice against the autocratic regime of Sheikh Hasina. The use of deadly weapons on them goes against the spirit of an oppression-free state.鈥�
Gazipur Industrial Police聽 superintendent Mohammad Sarwar Alam said that in the Gazipur industrial zone, workers from the TNZ Group blockaded the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway on Tuesday, demanding their wages.
The blockade began at 8:30am and concluded at 6:30pm after the workers received their payments.
Sarwar Alam said that nine factories in the Gazipur industrial zone remained shut on Tuesday, while the BGMEA reported that production was suspended in 13 factories in the zone that day.
On Tuesday, in the Ashulia industrial zone, 407 garment factories carried on production, while 31 suspended production. In the Gazipur industrial zone, 876 factories carried on production against 13 remaining closed, according to the BGMEA.