United News of Bangladesh

Traffic on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway was disrupted for nearly an hour on Wednesday morning after workers of a garment factory blocked the road demanding their August salaries. Around 150-200 workers of Bulbul Knitting and Sewing Ltd staged the protest at Dighirpar in Bason area around 7 am, halting vehicular movement, witnesses said. The workers alleged that their August salaries, due by September 10, had not been paid, prompting the demonstration. Nursing students block road in Gazipur A team from the Industrial Police and Bason Police Station rushed to the scene and tried to disperse the protesters. Traffic resumed around 8 am after the workers left the road following assurances from the police, said Md Shaheen Khan, Officer-in-Charge of Bason Police Station.

Vehicular movement on Kuril Biswa Road and its adjacent areas remained suspended since Wednesday noon as workers of a readymade garment factory blocked the road demanding payment of their dues. Witnesses said several hundred workers of the Eurozone factory took to the street around 12:30 pm and blocked the road, bringing traffic movement to a complete halt between Kuril-Badda and Badda-Kuril. A long tailback  has been created in and around the area following the blockade, causing immense suffering to the commuters. To ease congestion, traffic authorities have been diverting vehicles through alternative routes. Vehicles from Khilkhet were asked to divert towards Mohakhali and Banani without using the flyover. Vehicles coming from Rampura towards Kuril are being diverted via Badda Link Road–Gulshan 1–Gulshan 2 towards Uttara. Besides, Vehicles from Rampura can go via Natun Bazar–Gulshan 2 to head north. Those heading towards Rampura have been asked to use the reverse routes through Kuratoli–Mohakhali via Kakali, Amtali or Tejgaon. Assistant Commissioner of Traffic (Badda Zone) under Gulshan Division  Sohel Rana said suspension of vehicular movement created severe traffic jam in the surrounding areas as well as other parts of the city.  

Workers of a readymade garment (RMG) factory blocked the Chandra-Nabinagar highway in Gazipur on Thursday, demanding payment of their outstanding wages for the past two months. The blockade disrupted vehicular movement, but traffic between Dhaka and northern districts remained operational via an alternative route. The agitated workers of Hardy Associates Ltd alleged that the factory authorities repeatedly promised to pay their arrears but failed to do so. On December 23, the factory was abruptly closed without settling the unpaid wages, leaving workers with no choice but to take to the streets. Read: Workers block highway demanding reopening of 2 closed factories in Gazipur Md Mizanur Rahman, Superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police, said efforts were underway to clear the highway and restore normal traffic flow. Blaming the factory authorities for the unrest, Mizanur Rahman said the workers were driven to protest due to negligence and unmet commitments by the management.

Workers of a readymade garment factory set fire to three vehicles on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway to protest the death of a security guard of the organization in a bus crash, said police on Sunday morning. The agitated workers also blocked the highway halting traffic for over an hour that caused significant sufferings to the commuters. The protesters were later evicted restoring normal traffic movement on Saturday night. Locals said an unidentified speeding bus ran over Munnaf Malitha, security guard of Ananta Casual Wear Ltd in Taragachh area under Gazipur city on Saturday night. Though being informed members of the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) rushed to the spot, they were forced to go back in the face of a barrier from the agitated workers, said Md Shahin Alam, senior station master of Tongi Fire Station. Read: Cuet students set fire to bus protesting closure Tongi East Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Kaisar Ahmed said the security guard succumbed to his injuries on way to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Police evicted the workers from the highway by around 10:15pm allowing the traffic movement, he added.

Workers of TNZ garment factory have withdrawn their blockade on Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway after the authorities assured them of paying their overdue wages by November 30. The decision to lift the blockade was taken at 10:30pm on Monday after a tripartite meeting among factory owners, worker representatives and Secretary to the Ministry of Labour AHM Safiquzzaman, said Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ershad Mia on Tuesday morning. The meeting decided to pay the first installment of the workers' outstanding wages by Sunday next, with the remaining amount to be settled by November 30. The government will provide a total of Tk 16 crore as a loan to TNZ Apparels. Of this amount, Tk 6 crore will come from the central fund and will be used to pay the first installment of wages. Read more: RMG workers block Dhaka-M’sing highway demand dues The remaining Tk 10 crore will be provided by the Ministry of Finance, which will cover the remaining dues. The factory owners will later repay this amount to the government. Moreover, the workers will be paid regular salary from the factory’s own income from December. After the meeting, the workers accepted the decision and withdrew the blockade allowing traffic to resturn to normal.

Gridlock was formed as vehicular movement on Dhaka-Tangail highway remained suspended for over an hour due to workers of garment factories demonstrating in Gazipur’s Konabari area, demanding payment of salaries as per the wages set by the government. Mohammad Ziaul Islam, officer-in-charge of Konabari Police Station, said workers of garment factories in the Konabari area took to the street around 8 am to press home their six-point demand including payment of salary as per the government-announced wage structure. Read: Focus on value addition in RMG industry needed more to enhance global competitiveness: BGMEA President  The other demands include an eight-hour workday instead of ten hours. A long tailback has been created on both sides of the Dhaka-Tangail highway following the demonstration. However, vehicular movement normalised as police drove the demonstrating workers away from the highway after assuring them of taking steps regarding their demands. Read: Despite anticipated challenges in 2024, int’l market demand for RMG products could rise: BGMEA Director  

A female garment worker was killed and ten were injured in a clash between police and RMG workers at Konabari in Gazipur on Wednesday (November 08, 2023). The deceased was identified as Anjuara Khatun, 30, wife of Jamal Hossain of Sirajganj district. Witnesses said workers of garment factories took to the streets in the morning in Konabari, demanding Tk 23,000 as the minimum salary. Garment factories reopen in Gazipur, several hurt in clash with police On information, police fired rubber bullets, sound grenades and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse them, triggering a clash that left eleven people injured. The agitating garment workers claimed that Anjuara died on the way to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital. Police use tear gas shells as RMG workers protest in Gazipur Mohammad Ibrahim Khan, deputy commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police, said a female garment worker — injured in the clash — was sent to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital. Garment workers have been demonstrating, demanding to increase their basic salary to Tk 23,000, for several days across the country. The government of Bangladesh on Tuesday fixed Tk 12,500 as minimum salary for entry-level RMG workers. BGB deployed to beef up security for garment factories in Dhaka, Gazipur

At least six workers of a garment factory were dead and eight others were injured when a speeding bus ran them over while they were waiting to board another bus on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Trishal upazila, under Mymensingh district, today (October 11, 2023). Four of the deceased were identified as Jesmine Akter, 35; Sirajul Islam, 40; Sohel Mia, 28; and Liton Mia, 30, of Sadar upazila while the identities of two others could not be known immediately. Quoting locals, Main Uddin, officer-in-charge of Trishal Police Station, said a Dhaka-bound bus of ‘SS Travellers’ from Sherpur made a sudden stop at Chelerghat around 7:30 am today, as one of its tyres got punctured. Read: Man, grandson drown in Mymensingh pond Passengers of the bus got off and were waiting on the highway for another bus. Around 8 am, a bus arrived at the spot, and they tried to board it. At this time, another bus, speeding on the highway, hit the people standing on the road -- leaving three dead on the spot and 11 injured. Read: Mother, minor daughter found hanging in Mymensingh house Of the injured, three died on the way to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital. Vehicular movement on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway remained halted for some time after the accident. Read: Lightning kills 2 students in Mymensingh

At least 10 people were injured when a clash broke out between ready-made garments (RMG) workers and law enforcers in Ashulia area of Savar upazila on Tuesday (May 23, 2023) as the workers blocked Baipail-Abdullahpur highway, police said. According to the workers, the authority of Fashion Forum Limited Garment declared the garment closed indefinitely as they went on a strike and stopped working from Monday on various demands. Read more: Bangladesh-Australia have huge opportunities to expand trade: BGMEA President  Observing the notice put at the gate last night, the workers started to block the Baipail-Abdullahpur highway and police intercepted them. Ashulia Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kamruzzaman confirmed the matter and said that additional police have been deployed in front of the factory to avoid any untoward incident. Read more: Dip in US market fails to dent apparel sector's growth momentum.

Bangladesh Bank (BB) has directed keeping the scheduled banks open on April 19-21 (Wednesday to Friday) to facilitate payment of garment workers' salary, Eid bonus and allowances. The central bank has asked the banks to keep open the branches before Eid-ul-Fitr in the industrial areas including Dhaka metropolitan, Ashulia, Tongi, Gazipur, Savar, Bhaluka, and the industry related branches of banks located in Narayanganj and Chittagong ensuring adequate security. Read more: Gazette published fixing Tk 8,000 as minimum wage for RMG workers The Department of Off-site Supervision of Bangladesh Bank on Monday issued a circular in this regard