Hundreds of workers of several factories under BEXIMCO Industrial Park continued protest for the fifth day on Tuesday by blocking the Chandra-Nabinagar highway at Chakraborty intersection in the Sarabo area of Kashimpur, Gazipur.
They resumed their blockade on the highway at around 10am today (19 November), after calling off the fourth day's protests late night on Monday.
Meanwhile, workers of Doreen Group have also put a blockade nearby on the same highway, demanding immediate reopening of their factories – which were closed by owners as protests by Beximco workers grew intense.
Workers of both groups have said they will immediately call off their demonstrations only after their demands are met.
Both blockades have halted vehicular movement on both sides of the highway, creating several kilometres long gridlocks and leaving commuters immensely suffering.
Many commuters are being forced to either walk or use auto-rickshaws to reach their destinations through alternative routes.
Vehicles are using the Dhaka-Tangail highway and Dhamarai-Kaliakair regional road to maintain road communication between Dhaka and the northern districts. Frustrated commuters and locals have urged the authorities to clear the road.
Confirming the developments, Kashimpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Saiful Islam said they were trying to convince the workers to move from the highway.
According to industrial police and workers, at least 41,000 people work in the apparel and ceramic factories at the Beximco Industrial Park.
Their demand for the October salaries initially began with protests last November 14. After a break on Friday, the protests resumed again on Saturday, escalating it into a 10-hour highway blockade. Since then, the workers have been demonstrating by blocking the Chandra-Nabinagar highway every day.
Earlier on Monday, they kept the highway blocked for 13 hours until 11pm, leaving thousands of commuters reeling in severe gridlocks on both sides.
Meanwhile, workers of three Doreen Group factories – Doreen Garments, Doreen Apparels, and Doreen Washing Plant – demonstrating on the highway near Zirani Bazar have said that their factories were announced closed yesterday without any notice. They said they will not withdraw their protest until the factories, which employ over 5,000 workers, are reopened.
Their demands include rehiring more than 100 workers who were sacked.
