Garment workers continue protests in Dhaka, N’ganj, Savar and Gazipur

Thousands of readymade garments workers today demonstrated in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Savar and Gazipur demanding their due wages.

In Narayanganj, several thousand workers of seven factories including Yousan Knit Composite Limited, Unitex Cotton Ware Private Ltd, Sayem Fashion, Kektext Garments, Sun Knit staged agitations in different areas of the Sadar and Sonargaon upazila for their salaries of March.

They also blocked Dhaka-Chattogram highway in Tipordi area of Sonargaon for an hour, said Mozaffar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kanchpur Highway Police Station.

The agitating workers withdrew their protest after police assured them of meeting their demand by next Monday, Sheikh Bashir Ahmed, inspector (intelligence) of Narayanganj Industrial Police-4, said.

Around 3,000 workers of six garment factories in Savar and Ashulia took position in front of their respective workplaces in the morning and staged demonstration for their due wages.

They were supposed to get the payment of March by today, said Khairul Mamun Mintu, secretary of Garment Workers' Trade Union Centre.

"We sent the workers back home assuring that their salaries would be paid on April 20," said Jane Alam, assistant superintendent of Dhaka Industrial Police-1.

In Dhaka, workers of "Latest Washing" factory took to the street at Rupnagar this morning demanding salaries of the last month.

They withdrew their agitation after the authorities concerned assured that they would be paid on April 26, said Abul Kalam Azad, officer-in-charge of Rupnagar Police Station.

Meanwhile, Forman Ali, officer-in-charge of Airport Police Station, told The Daily Star that some garments workers blocked Dhaka-Mymensingh highway near the airport for three hours till 1:00pm on similar ground.

In Gazipur, hundreds of workers of different factories demonstrated in front of their factory gates till noon with the same demand.

Besides, the agitating workers of MHC Apparels blocked Dhaka-Sreepur road at Bhagnahati area for four hours until 12:00pm, said Md Jalal Uddin Ahmed, additional superintendent of Gazipur Industrial police.

"Later they went back to their homes on the assurance that their wages will be paid on Sunday, he told our local correspondent.