Workers of a garment factory named TNZ Apparels staged demonstration in Gazipur industrial belt for the second day in a row on Sunday demanding wages that remained unpaid for last two months.
The workers' protest brought traffic to a standstill on both sides of the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.
The demonstration that started at around 8.30 am on Saturday in Maleker Bari area halted vehicular movement on both sides of the highway causing immense suffering to the commuters and the situation continued until filing the report at around 7.30 pm on Sunday.
The unrelenting traffic congestion is likely to be prolonged as the protesting workers of TNZ Apparels Limited are unlikely to leave the highways until the owner who is currently abroad or any representative on behalf of the owner comes and talks, sources in law enforcing agencies told the FE.
They said the demands of the workers are 'logical' as they did not get their due wages in a time of high inflation despite repeated assurance from the factory authorities.
Talking to the FE, Md Sarwar Alam, superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police, said there are workers of more couple of units who are also protesting on the highway over unpaid monthly wages.
He said TNZ workers are still on the road until 7.30 pm and they are unlikely to leave the place until their demands are met.
Some two dozen factories in Gazipur area suspended operation on the same day over labour unrest.
According to Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS), a total of 96 incidents of labour unrest took place in the country's major garment industrial belts- mostly in Ashulia and Gazipur- from January to September of 2024.
A majority or 39 incidents of labour protests took place over dues while 22 over various other demands, BILS data showed.
The institute recorded eight incidents of workers' protests over opening of closed units, 13 over payment of bonus, five over deaths of workers and rest nine centring other demands.
Talking to the FE, Amirul Haque Amin, a labour leader, said some incidents of protests like that of TNZ took place mainly because of the ignorance of factory owners and agitation spread into other nearby factories.
"The government should take strict measures against the factory owners who are not paying wages for one or two months and arrest them," he noted.
Unless the government and BGMEA take strict measures against such acts, no peaceful situation could be expected in the country's largest foreign currency earning sector, he said, adding that 'timely wage payment is most important for workers.'
Meanwhile, Labour and Employment Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan at a press conference held at his Secretariat office on Sunday after the meeting with the leaders of factory owners and workers briefed about the progress of the agreed 18-point demand. He said the country is now passing a transition period and problems arise during this time.
"What we have seen is that most of the problems are related to the labour sector and we have been working over the 18-point demand agreed by both owners and workers' representatives."
He claimed that they have addressed many of the issues while they put pressure on a number of factory owners while passports have been put on hold for some.
Speaking at the conference, Labour Secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman said some 19 factories are yet to pay wages and they are trying to resolve the issue.
Despite that, workers of some factories are blocking the roads, he said, adding that there might be instigation by outsiders.
The government has instructed the law enforcing agencies to take strict measures if any instigation is spotted, he noted.
Talking there, Mohammad Hatem, president of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said that they are facing difficulties in getting money from some of the banks and demanded immediate disbursement of cash incentives.
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