Police on Tuesday dispersed readymade garment (RMG) workers, who had been staging protest by blocking Nabinagar-Chandra Highway in Ashulia for 32 hours demanding reopening their factory and payment of their due salaries, by resorting water cannon.
Several hundred workers of ‘Generation Next Ltd’ had been staging demonstrations by blocking the highway at Baipile since Monday morning.
The workers launched the protests as the owners announced the factory closed without paying the salaries of the workers for last three months.
As part of their protests, the workers took position at Baipile blocking transport movement that created severe traffic jam in the area.
In the circumstance, police resorted to use water cannons to disperse the agitating workers at 4:45om on Tuesday.
In face of police action, the workers were forced to leave the road. But there was no decision on fulfilling the demands of the protesting workers.
Protesting workers said that the factory management has failed to pay wages and other allowances for the past three months. The factory was abruptly shut down without settling the outstanding dues.
Although the owners promised multiple times to clear the payments, the workers have not received any wages in the last three months. Several months of wages are also owed to the factory's staff, they added.
Saiful Islam, a worker at the factory, said: "For the past three months, my family and I have been struggling. I'm behind on rent and in debt to local shops, and we're barely surviving. I have not been able to find another job either."
Ashulia police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abu Bakar Siddique said: "The workers have blocked the highway again since morning. We are trying to negotiate with them and clear the road."
Sarwar Alam, superintendent of police of Industrial Police-1, confirmed that discussions regarding the Generation Next workers are ongoing.
A factory insider, requesting anonymity, disclosed that the factory's chairman, Touhidul Islam, is currently in hiding. The managing director, Rajiv Shetty, an Indian national, has returned to India, leaving the issue unresolved.
The factory, which employs around 4,000 workers, currently owes approximately Tk130-140 million in unpaid wages and benefits.
A representative of the factory’s management said if the government or a bank provides a loan, the factory could resume operations.
