Authorities have declared a holiday across all garment factories spanning approximately 13 kilometers from Konabari to Chandra in Gazipur after workers blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway to demand a minimum wage of 30,000 taka.
The protest began on Saturday afternoon, October 31, in the Chandra Palli Bidyut area.
Police and labor sources reported that workers refused to join their shifts after midday, initially gathering outside the Interstop factory to press their wage demands. Workers from neighboring factories soon joined the demonstration, eventually staging a roadblock that halted traffic on both sides of the Dhaka-Tangail highway and stranded commuters in lengthy traffic jams.
Kaliakair Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shahidul Islam stated that officers were actively trying to persuade workers to clear the highway.
Meanwhile, garment workers in Ashulia near Savar also staged protests demanding a 30,000 taka minimum wage and an end to worker blacklisting. The Ashulia demonstration led to chases and counter-chases between police and protesters, leaving one Industrial Police officer injured by stone-pelting.
-SA