Picture: Collected
The Ashulia industrial zone saw a surge in factory closures today as workers from numerous units staged fresh protests over various demands, including wage increases.
Since this morning, 52 factories have been shut down in the area, which has a total of 1,863 factories, mostly garment-related. Industrial police reported that 19 factories were closed yesterday.
Md Sarwar Alam, superintendent of Ashulia Industrial Police-1, confirmed that 43 factories were closed under the “no work, no pay” clause of labor law.
Out of all the closures, 39 factories are part of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), as the unrest continues.
Worker protests, which began earlier in the month, have centered around demands for higher incentives, allowances, and other benefits. Despite the unrest, production resumed smoothly in most factories at the start of the week.
However, several workers resumed demonstrations, calling for a minimum wage of Tk 25,000, causing further disruptions and leading to more factory closures.
In a separate incident, workers from the Generation Next factory in Narsinghpur blocked the Abdullahpur-Bypail road this morning, demanding two months of unpaid wages and the reopening of their factory. Joint forces eventually cleared the road.
During a visit to Ashulia between morning and early afternoon, this correspondent saw closure notices displayed at several factories.
Security forces have been deployed to maintain order in the area.
