Dhaka-M'sing highway blocked, police fire sound grenades to disperse protesters

Police fired several sound grenades to disperse workers of a garment factory who blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Gazipur's Sreepur on Thursday morning, demanding payment of their outstanding wages.

The blockade disrupted traffic on both sides of the highway for nearly an hour before police cleared the protesters and restored vehicular movement. the report of the said that the worker 

Workers of Sea Stage BD Limited took to the highway around 8:30AM at MC Bazar in Mulaid village of Sreepur.

Protesting workers said the factory authorities had promised to pay their outstanding September wages on October 13 following an earlier protest on October 10. However, the payment was not made on the promised date, despite further assurances that wages would be paid on Wednesday.

The workers alleged that the authorities continued to delay payment and subsequently declared a general holiday at the factory on Thursday.

Angered by the delay, they blocked the highway from 8:30AM, bringing traffic to a standstill.

Industrial police arrived at the scene and urged the workers to leave the highway, offering to facilitate discussions with factory management over the unpaid wages. However, the workers continued their blockade, prompting police to fire several sound grenades to disperse them.

Mohammad Amzad Hossain, superintendent of police at Gazipur Industrial Police-2, said the workers had blocked the highway demanding their September salaries.

Police requested them to clear the road and offered to arrange talks with the factory owners, but they did not comply, he said, adding that sound grenades were subsequently used to remove the protesters.

Hossain said a decision on the wage issue would be made after discussions with the factory management.

He also rejected the workers’ allegation that machinery was being removed from the factory, saying the claim was not correct.