Workers' unrest forced to shut 50 in Ashulia

At least 50 garment factories in Savar's Ashulia declared a general holiday on Sunday as workers staged protests demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000, an end to blacklisting and a halt to layoffs.

Superintendent of Police of Ashulia Industrial Police-1 Mominul Islam Bhuiyan confirmed the closures around 2PM on Sunday.

The protests began in the morning when workers at Al-Muslim, Trouser Line and New Age garment factories in the Nischintapur area entered their workplaces but stopped working. They later came out onto the streets, with workers from other factories joining the demonstrations in solidarity.

Around noon, workers gathered in front of Ananta Garments in the Norshinghpur area of Ashulia. When police tried to disperse them, a chase and counter-chase took place. No casualties were immediately reported.

Protesting workers said their key demands included setting the minimum monthly wage at Tk30,000, ending the blacklisting of workers and stopping layoffs. They also protested against what they described as arbitrary dismissals by factory authorities on various pretexts.

Khairul Mamun Mintu, law affairs secretary of the Bangladesh Garments and Sweater Workers Trade Union Centre, said workers were demonstrating over three main demands, led by the call for a Tk 30,000 minimum wage. He noted that the government had formed a wage board on Sunday, but workers in different parts of the Ashulia industrial zone had continued their protests. 

Mominul Islam Bhuiyan told that garment workers had been observing work stoppages since morning and that 50 factories had declared general holidays amid the protests. He said police were working to bring the situation under control.