Workers protest factory closure in Barishal

BARISHAL, Sept 23: Workers of Indo-Bangla Pharmaceuticals Ltd, joined by their school-going children, protested on Tuesday outside the closed factory to demand unpaid wages and the reopening of the plant.

Demonstrators chanted slogans calling for the withdrawal of what they termed an illegal closure notice and an end to attempts to lay off staff.

The factory was shuttered abruptly on September 13 without prior warning, leaving employees’ August wages unpaid and halting their income, workers said. Many families are struggling to afford food and children’s education, increasingly relying on loans, they said.

“The children should be in school. Instead, they have joined their parents’ protest,” speakers said at the “Hungry Children’s Rally.” Workers vowed to continue their movement until their demands are met. 

Indo-Bangla Pharmaceuticals Ltd Managing Director Mizanur Rahman was contacted for comment but did not respond.