Gazipur industrial belt stabilizes as workers resume duties

Situation across the industrial belt of Gazipur began normalizing on Thursday (November 5) morning as readymade garment workers returned to their factories following days of violent protests, clashes, and highway blockades over wage hike demands.

By 8:00AM on Thursday, no demonstrations or road blockades were reported along major highways or regional feeder roads, with workers seen arriving at their respective production units in groups while normal traffic movement resumed across the district.

To maintain law and order across vulnerable points, law enforcement agencies deployed 25 platoons of personnel—comprising 12 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), 5 platoons of Ansar, and 8 platoons of the Special Response Battalion (SRB)—under the supervision of 25 executive magistrates.

Assistant Commissioner (Media and Research Cell) at the Gazipur Deputy Commissioner's Office, Md Arif Hossain, confirmed the security measures on Thursday morning, noting that armed forces personnel and magistrates are stationed to prevent state property damage and safeguard public safety.

The industrial hub had experienced severe disruption over recent days as workers staged demonstrations demanding a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 BDT, leading to repeated blockades along the Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways.

The unrest escalated into violent confrontations with security forces, resulting in arson attacks on a police box, law enforcement vehicles, and a factory warehouse, alongside multiple injuries and subsequent detentions.

Tensions had heightened further following the death of a worker, identified as Taufiq, who was assaulted while recording video on a mobile phone during earlier protests, forcing several factory authorities to temporarily declare holidays.

However, the peaceful return of workers to assembly lines and the absence of fresh road blockades on Thursday morning signal a gradual restoration of stability across the country's prime industrial district.

-EM