RMG Workers Block Dhaka-M'singh Highway for Job Reinstatement

Traffic on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway was disrupted for an hour on Tuesday as retrenched garment workers staged a protest, demanding the reinstatement of their jobs.

The workers, recently laid off from factories in the Bhogra Bypass, Choydana, and Maleker Bari areas of Gazipur city, blocked the highway near Sataish Road in Tongi, bringing vehicular movement to a standstill. The protesters expressed their frustration, stating that they have been living in dire conditions since losing their jobs.

The workers warned that they would continue their demonstrations until their demands for reinstatement are addressed by the authorities.

Upon receiving the information, police and army personnel quickly arrived at the scene and dispersed the protesters, restoring traffic flow on the highway.

The unrest also led to the suspension of production at Pritee Garments Ltd. In a related incident, workers from Bata Shoe Company Ltd gathered on Tongi Station Road to push for their eight-point demand, which includes setting a basic salary of Tk 15,000 and a 20 percent annual salary increase.

Additional police forces were deployed to maintain security in the area. Mosharraf Hossain, Assistant Superintendent of Police for the Tongi zone, confirmed that several hundred workers from various factories participated in the demonstrations, which briefly disrupted traffic. The situation has since been brought under control.