More factories shuttered today amid fresh wave of unrest in Ashulia

The Ashulia industrial belt saw an increased number of garment factories closed today amid a fresh wave of unrest among workers of dozens of units over several demands, including wage hikes.

Since today's morning, 52 factories have been shuttered in the area, hosting 1,863 factories, mostly garments. Yesterday, 19 factories were closed, according to the industrial police.

Md Sarwar Alam, superintendent of police at Ashulia Industrial Police-1, said 43 factories have been shut under the "no work, no pay" provision of labour law.

Of the total closed units, 39 factories are members of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) as the unrest lingers.

The industrial region saw workers protesting since the beginning of the month over various demands including a hike in incentives, allowances and other benefits.

Industrial police said production in the rest of the factories resumed smoothly since the beginning of the week.

However, workers from several factories resumed protests, demanding a minimum wage of Tk 25,000 among other demands, disrupting operations. As a result, factory authorities have declared the closure of these factories.

In a separate incident, workers from the Generation Next factory in the Narsinghpur area blockaded the Abdullahpur-Bypail road this morning, demanding two months of unpaid wages and the reopening of their factory. The joint forces intervened and managed to disperse the workers from the road.

During a visit to the Ashulia area from morning until 1:15 PM, this correspondent saw factory closure notices posted in front of several factories.

Security personnel from the joint forces have been deployed to ensure to contain the situation.