Online Report
Garment workers in Ashulia staged a protest on Thursday (August 14) morning, demanding payment of their due wages. Authorities of at least 15 nearby factories declared a general holiday, suspending operations for the day.
The demonstration took place in front of Nasa Basic Complex factory, part of Nasa Group, and led to the blockade of the Tongi-Ashulia-EPZ road. Police later arrived at the scene and brought the situation under control.
The protest began around 7:00 AM when workers gathered in front of the factory and sat down in protest. As a result, traffic movement on the busy industrial route came to a halt. The road was cleared around 10:30 AM after police intervened and convinced the workers to move.
According to Industrial Police, some protesting workers attempted to pull out employees from nearby factories to join the demonstration. This raised security concerns, prompting the closure of surrounding factories for the day.
Workers claimed that Nasa Group had earlier announced a four-day holiday from August 10 to 13, promising to clear the due wages afterward. However, instead of making the payments, the company extended the holiday by another four days through a notice posted at the factory gate, sparking anger among the workforce.
The notice stated: “Due to unavoidable circumstances, all departments and sections of the factory (except for those engaged in emergency duties) will remain closed from August 14 to August 18. Regular operations will resume on Tuesday, August 19.”
Superintendent of Police Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan of Industrial Police-1 told BanglaNews, “Amid the unrest, 15 garment factories in the area have declared a general holiday today for safety. The situation is now under control. Workers have been removed from the road, and vehicular movement has returned to normal.”