Workers’ Unrest: 90 RMG Factories Shut In Ashulia

At least 90 readymade garment factories have suspended operations in Ashulia as workers continue to stage protests. 

Workers at several factories didn’t resume work and left early Monday (September 9) morning. After that, the authorities declared general holidays in these factories, said Industrial Police-1 Superintendent Sarwar Alam.

Army along with police and BGB were deployed to control the situation in the industrial area.

Yesterday, the authorities announced holiday in 30 factories after attempts to resolve the issues through discussions fell through.

Local government adviser AF Hasan Arif recently said that those who are involved in workers’ unrest are mostly outsiders.

“We’ll take strict action to protect the economy and the workers,” he warned on September 4 after an emergency meeting on RMG workers’ unrest.

“A real worker won’t burn his factory because his livelihood lies there. It was done by outsiders,” he said. “We have to deal with them strictly [and] take action if we want to save factories, workers and the economy.”

Bangladesh is the second-largest exporter of RMG products after China. This sector suffered billions of takas in losses during the recent student-led movement that toppled Sheikh Hasina's government on August 5. The unrest comes as the sector is trying to turn around.