Garment Workers Protest in Ashulia and Gazipur: Clashes, Vandalism, Over 350 Factories Shut

Garment workers in Savar, Ashulia, and Gazipur staged massive protests on Monday to push for higher minimum wages and other workplace demands. The demonstrations disrupted traffic on major transport routes and led to repeated clashes between protesters and law enforcement personnel, leaving more than 150 people injured across the industrial belts.

In Ashulia, tensions mounted around 10:00 AM in the Narsinghapur and Nishchintapur areas along the Abdullahpur-Baipail road. Workers attempted to block the road after gathering in front of several large apparel plants, including Ananta Group and Ha-Meem Group. Police fired tear gas and sound grenades to clear the thoroughfare, leading to extended confrontations. Around noon, a covered van was set on fire in front of the Nadi filling station in Narsinghapur. Ashulia police detained two individuals in connection with the incident.

Visiting the blocked Dhaka-Aricha highway, local lawmaker Dr. Dewan Mohammad Salauddin Babu stated that outside groups were infiltrating the worker gatherings to destabilize the apparel sector. Industrial police similarly reported that outsiders had pressured regular workers to shut production floors and join highway blockades. Citing safety concerns, authorities closed around 230 factories in the Savar and Ashulia regions.

In Gazipur, workers blocked segments of the Dhaka-Tangail highway near Shafipur, Palli Bidyut, and Chandra, demanding a monthly minimum wage of 30,000 taka. At around 11:00 AM, a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) member was injured by thrown stones as security forces attempted to disperse the crowd.

The unrest escalated at Nawjor around noon, where protesters vandalized and torched three police vehicles. During the unrest, a reporter and camera operator from Somoy TV were assaulted, their broadcast camera was smashed, and several other journalists reported assaults and stolen mobile phones.

Superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police Amjad Hossain confirmed that BGB, district, and metropolitan police units have been deployed to regain control of the corridors. Factory management in Gazipur announced closures for over 150 facilities to protect plant infrastructure and avoid further escalation.