Published: 12:08 AM, 01 November 2026 Last Update: 12:19 AM, 01 November 2026
Ashulia clashes shut 25 factories
Garment workers clash with police over wages at Ashulia's industrial belt on Saturday. -Agency
Garment workers brought Ashulia's industrial belt to a standstill on Saturday, clashing with police over wages, alleged blacklisting and job security.
Six police officers and several workers and passers-by were reported injured, while owners shut 25 factories to prevent damage.
The unrest spread from Gazipur, where workers also blocked the Dhaka-Tangail Highway.
In Ashulia, protesters demanded a minimum wage of Tk 30,000, an end to alleged blacklisting, safer workplaces and a halt to arbitrary dismissals.
Tension rose early in Kathgara Bazar, Noyapara, Zirabo and Nischintapur, as workers left factories and began demonstrations. Groups threw bricks and stones at plants including Continental, AR Jeans and CW, smashing windows. Some factories announced a general holiday, bdnews24 reports.
By noon, protesters occupied the Abdullahpur-Baipail road in Nischintapur. Police and security personnel tried to disperse them, triggering running battles.
Officers fired tear gas and sound grenades to regain control.
Three objects resembling crude bombs were recovered outside New Age factory in Nischintapur, Industrial Police-1 Additional Superintendent Syed Faisal Islam said. Their origin was unknown, and Ashulia police had been informed. "Several people, including members of the industrial police, were injured in the clashes," Faisal said.
Industrial Police-1 Inspector Abul Kalam Azad said extra forces had been deployed and the situation was being monitored.
Superintendent Mohammad Mominul Islam later said 25 factories had closed and the situation was normal.
Workers say factory owners jointly maintain blacklists that prevent dismissed employees from finding jobs elsewhere.
Khairul Mamun Mintu, legal affairs secretary of the Bangladesh Garments and Sweaters Workers Trade Union Centre, said the current minimum wage of Tk 12,500 could not cover rising food, rent, medical and household costs.
In Gazipur, workers blocked the Dhaka-Tangail Highway near Palli Bidyut in Chandra, Kaliakair, halting traffic and causing delays for commuters. The blockade continued at 4:30pm, officer Shahidul Islam said.
