A protest took place on Monday as garment workers marched on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Gazipur’s Board Bazar, demanding payment of two months’ overdue wages. The demonstration involved over 100 employees from Winter Wool Sweater Ltd, gathering around 11:30 am and blocking one side of the highway while voicing their demands for unpaid salaries.
According to Industrial Police Additional Superintendent Salim Reza, the protest was conducted peacefully, and traffic flow was not entirely halted, although it was slowed down due to the presence of law enforcement officials on-site. Discussions between the factory management and workers were initiated to address the wage payment dispute.
Gazipur Traffic Police Inspector Tariqul Islam noted that the protest intensified congestion at a critical intersection, exacerbating traffic conditions along the route. Shafiul Alam, the president of the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation’s Gazipur metropolitan branch, emphasized the urgent need for authorities to ensure prompt payment of workers’ wages and benefits.
Alam mentioned the participation of employees from the factory’s unit 3 facility on Hurricane Road in Gacha in the protest. Efforts to reach out to the factory representatives for their comments were unsuccessful as of the latest update.
As of 1:00 pm local time, police reported that traffic movement was still sluggish due to the ongoing disruption caused by the protest.
