Calmness in the Readymade Garments (RMG) sector could not be restored till Sunday although personnel from the joint forces (Army, BGB and Police) and leaders of the workers and Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and have continuously been trying in this regard.
Despite joint efforts and initiatives, production in all the RMG factories could not be started on Sunday.
According to local sources, nearly 30 garment factories were forced to declare closures on Sunday in Ashulia industrial area in face of workers' protests while workers of another factory in Tongi staged demonstrations with their 14-point demands.
Mohammad Sarwar Alam, Superintendent of Ashulia Industrial Police-1, said, workers of at least 30 factories walked out instead of joining work, forcing authorities to shut the factories.
Six people were detained for questioning from Pukurpar area on suspicion that they were trying to create anarchy in the RMG sector, he added.
The situation in the industrial area was normal this afternoon, except one or two isolated incidents, said Sarwar Alam.
As per the decision of BGMEA, most factories reopened on Sunday but workers at 30 factories started protesting, saying their negotiations with the authorities regarding various demands were not ‘fruitful’, the protesters said.
Till 11:00am, the situation was normal. But as the day progressed, tensions gradually increased when the workers waged protests inside or outside the factories.
Later, the authorities shut the factories, officials of industrial police said.
Around 11:30am, a group of workers blocked the Jirabo-Bishmail road in front of several factories in the Pukurpar area of Ashulia industrial area.
Later, police, army and BGB members reached there and removed dispersed the protesting workers.
At that time, six people were detained on suspicion of being outsiders instigating the unrest.
During a random visit in the area, it was seen that the detainees were sitting in front of the gate of a garment factory surrounded by army, police and BGB members.
They were being interrogated, the correspondent said quoting the industrial police.
Army, police and BGB personnel were trying to keep traffic normal on the road.
However, the operation of the other factories was normal. The workers said they joined work as the owners accepted most of their demands, police said.
The workers have been protesting over various demands including congenial work environment, balanced recruitment of men and women in garment sector and increasing maternity leave.
Workers of polymer factory stage demo at Tongi
Meanwhile, workers of National Polymer Industries staged a sit-in at Tongi in Gazipur to press home a 14-point demand including annual increments of at least Tk 3,000 and salary disbursement by the fifth of each month.
Starting from 8:00am, the demonstrators staged their sit-in programme till 11:30am in front of their factory adjacent to Squib Road at Tongi.
Around 12:00pm, Mosharraf Hossain, assistant superintendent of police of Gazipur Industrial Police, said army men and industrial police went to the scene and urged the workers to stay calm and assured them of resolving their issues.
Later, Industrial Police personnel, army, factory authorities and workers held talks in the conference room of the National Chemical Industries factory.
The workers then went back to their workplaces, said ASP Mosharraf.
Details of the discussion could not be known immediately.
Md Khorshed, admin officer of the factory, said that the authorities have already taken initiatives for fulfilling the 14-point demand.
