Workers Block Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway In Gazipur

Workers have blocked the highway in Gazipur, protesting with demands for reinstatement in jobs, new recruitments, and other grievances. This has led to traffic disruptions, causing difficulties for commuters. In response to the situation, at least ten factories have declared a holiday.

This Wednesday morning, at around 8:30 AM, workers held a protest rally, blocking the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in the Bhogra Chowdhurybari area of Gazipur city.

The protesting workers stated that the majority of factories in Gazipur have signs stating "No Recruitment." From the 1st to the 5th of each month, hundreds of workers gather in front of each factory seeking employment. Even though the signs say recruitment is closed, female workers are secretly being hired. They alleged that after male workers join, they are dismissed under the pretext of various demands and complaints, which is why the factories are not hiring male workers.

At around 8:30 AM, over a hundred workers gathered in the Bhogra area, blocking the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in a protest rally, demanding jobs. They called on workers from other factories to join them by standing outside the factory gates. When they didn’t respond, the protesters threw bricks and stones. In this tense situation, initially, all factories from Chandana Chowrasta to Bhogra were declared closed. Gradually, factories along Joydebpur Road also announced closures. After the factories declared a holiday, many workers returned home, while others joined the protest. By 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM, at least ten factories in Gazipur, including Belmond, Techno Fiber Limited, Interlink, Euromic Tax Limited, and Rua Fashion, had announced holidays.

One of the protesting workers, Alim Hossain, said, "If you go to any nearby factory, you will see signs saying recruitment is closed. However, they are secretly hiring people." He has been unemployed for the past four months and says that male workers are not being recruited in many garment factories. Female workers are also being laid off in many factories. The protesters took to the streets, demanding the reinstatement of dismissed workers and the recruitment of male workers.

Sarwar, the Superintendent of Police for the Gazipur Industrial Area, told the media that several garment factory workers blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, protesting with demands for jobs. Since morning, 10-12 factories have declared holidays. The industrial police are trying to negotiate with the workers and restore normalcy to the situation.