Workers of BEXIMCO Industrial Park and ‘That's It Knitwear’ under Hamim Group launched protests blocking roads and highway in Gazipur causing severe traffic jams in the area on Thursday.
BEXIMCO workers launched protests for eighth consecutive day on the Chandra-Nabinagar Highway demanding their due salaries while Hamim Group workers staged demonstrations in Zirani area after three of their colleagues were injured in a bus accident in front of the factory on Wednesday morning.
On Chandra-Nabinagar Highway, the BEXIMCO workers launched protest at 9:00am on Thursday causing severe disruptions to commuters and goods transport on the highway.
Kashimpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Saiful Islam said, "Vehicular movement remains halted due to the workers' blockade. We are trying to negotiate with the workers to clear the road, which will allow traffic to resume."
The protests, which began on Wednesday paused briefly on Friday but have continued daily since Saturday.
Meanwhile, in the Zirani area, workers of Hamim Group's That's It Knitwear factory also continued their road blockade for the second consecutive day, protesting various issues, including factory mismanagement and demanding the construction of a foot-over bridge.
Passengers and drivers using the affected routes have been greatly inconvenienced, with many resorting to battery-powered rickshaws for transportation.
Vehicles heading to northern regions of the country are using alternative routes, including the Dhaka-Tangail Highway and the Dhamrai-Kaliakair regional road, to maintain connectivity with Dhaka.
Locals have called for immediate measures to restore normalcy on the roads.
According to local sources, the Beximco Industrial Park, which includes garment and ceramics factories, employs approximately 41,000 workers. These workers have been protesting for the payment of October's overdue wages, marking one full week of demonstrations.
Starting each morning, the protests continue throughout the day and end at night, only to resume the following morning. Although traffic flow briefly resumed on Wednesday night after workers left the road around 8:30pm, protests resumed on Thursday morning as their demands remained unmet, said local sources.
Meanwhile, workers from That's It Knitwear factory in Zirani initiated their blockade after three of their colleagues were injured in a bus accident in front of the factory on Wednesday morning.
They are demanding better factory management and the construction of a flyover in the area. On the first day, military personnel and industrial police managed to clear the protesters from the road by 11am, but the workers resumed their protests on Thursday.
Law enforcement, including army personnel, industrial police, and Gazipur Metropolitan Police, are on-site, attempting to convince the workers to vacate the roads.
According to the industrial police, the factories within Beximco Industrial Park are owned by Salman F Rahman, former advisor to ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina on private industry and investment.
Following his arrest during a student-led uprising, the company's financial accounts were frozen, leading to recurring delays in wage payments. Workers have been forced to protest regularly to receive their wages. This month's protests began on 14 November, demanding October's salaries.
Although the government has provided loans to Beximco to pay the workers, with wages promised to be disbursed by 22 November, the workers have refused to end their blockade until their payments are made.
