Uttara: Factories in Uttara Export Processing Zone (EPZ) under the district today resumed operations after a two-day closure following the death of a worker at Evergreen Products (BD) Ltd during a clash with law enforcement on Tuesday. However, Evergreen Products (BD) Ltd, a Hong Kong-based wig factory, is scheduled to reopen on Saturday.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the unrest began when workers of Evergreen Products Factory staged a sit-in in front of the main gate of Uttara EPZ. The workers were pressing for various demands, including opposition to layoffs and factory closure. The situation escalated into a clash with law enforcement, during which a worker named Habib Islam, 21, from a knitting factory called "Ecu International" in the EPZ, was killed.
In response to the incident, production at all factories in the EPZ was suspended on September 3 to ensure the safety of workers, employees, and officials. An emergency meeting was convened at the EPZ office to address the crisis. The meeting included representatives from Evergreen's workforce, management, factory owners, district administration, armed forces, law enforcement agencies, political parties, and members of civil society.
The discussions led to an agreement from the Evergreen management to meet the workers' just and reasonable demands. They pledged to restart factory operations on September 6. Meanwhile, the EPZ authorities decided to reopen all factories inside the EPZ on September 4 to restore production activities and maintain the country's image in the global market, as stated by Uttara EPZ Executive Director Md Abdul Jabbar Khan.
The Uttara EPZ employs around 35,000 workers across approximately 27 operational factories.