Several thousand workers of Beximco group factories blocked Dhaka-Tangail Highway for five hours on Saturday demanding the reopening of their factories.
Witnesses said that the agitated workers staged a demonstration at around 9:00am in the Chakraborty area on the highway to press home their demand and continued it till 2:00pm.
On information, law enforcement agencies tried to disperse the workers from the highway for vehicular movement.
The agitated workers allegedly vandalised several vehicles on the highway and pelted the joint forces with stones while the agencies fired tear gas shells and sound grenades to disperse them.
At least 35,000 workers employed at the 16 Beximco group factories at the same industrial took part in the demonstration.
The industry group owned by ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina鈥檚聽 private investment affairs adviser Salman F Rahaman.
On December 16, the authority declared lay off the factories as the factories were facing financial and operational crisis since the fall of Hasina on August 5.
Kashimpur police station officer-in-charge Saiful Islam said that traffic on both sides of the highway was halted due to a blockade until 2:00pm.
The Beximco authorities could not be reached for comments despite repeated attempts over the phone.