Ashulia:More than 150 garment factories in Ashulia declared general holidays on Thursday following clashes between workers and police over demands, including setting the minimum wage at Tk 30,000 and ending the blacklisting of workers. The unrest resulted in at least 50 injuries as workers from around 150 factories left their workplaces to join demonstrations across the industrial area.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the morning saw workers from several garment factories, including Next Collection, Sterling Style, Setara, and Yagi Bangladesh, affiliated with Ha-Meem Group, stopping work and staging a walkout. Authorities subsequently declared general holidays at these factories. Police intervened when workers attempted to demonstrate after leaving their workplaces, detaining a worker named Rakib Hasan from Ha-Meem Group's Next Wash Ltd.
The detention led to rumors of mass arrests, sparking further demonstrations in areas such as Jamgora, Nishchintapur, and others. Workers from factories that remained operational also joined the protests, demanding the release of arrested workers. Ashulia Industrial Police-1 Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan noted that nearly 50 people were injured in the clashes between police and workers.
Officer-in-Charge Tarikul Islam of Ashulia Police Station reported that the situation had normalized after noon. In response to the unrest, five platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel, along with additional police, were deployed in Ashulia. They stationed near factories and key locations, patrolling the area with armored vehicles.
Dhaka-19 MP Dr. Dewan Mohammad Salahuddin Babu warned against any sabotage attempts during the labor unrest in Savar and Ashulia. Superintendent of Police of Dhaka District, Shamima Parveen, mentioned the involvement of a banned organization in the movement, aiming to destabilize the country. She stated that police were working to arrest those involved, while labor leaders expressed their desire to return to work.
In light of the continued unrest, owners of 210 factories in Savar and Ashulia are considering indefinite closures. BKMEA Vice-President Mohammad Rashed remarked that factory operations had become challenging due to worker refusals and vandalism, complicating wage discussions and raising concerns about paying workers' salaries. Prolonged disruptions could jeopardize workers' employment and income, as well as international buyers' confidence and the country's export earnings.