Garment workers block Dhaka-Tangail highway at Mouchak in Kaliakair demanding higher pay, traffic halted

Garment factory workers in Kaliakair, Gazipur, have blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway demanding an increase in wages and allowances. On Tuesday (27 October) at around 10am, they took position on the highway at the Mouchak area of Kaliakair. Traffic was halted across several kilometres of the highway.

Earlier in the morning, workers of the Essential Clothing Limited factory in Kaliakair began protesting to demand a wage increase. They later marched and took position on the Kaliakair-Fulbaria road.

Kaliakair Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shahidul Islam said the protesting workers put pressure on various surrounding factories to declare a holiday. At one stage, they threw brickbats at the gates of several factories. To keep the situation calm, the authorities of many factories on that road later declared a holiday.

The OC also said that after the factories declared the holiday, the workers took position at the Mouchak area of the Dhaka-Tangail highway, bringing traffic to a halt. Discussions were under way with the workers to restore normal traffic on the highway, he said.

Gazipur Industrial Police Superintendent (SP) Amjad Hossain said that in the morning, workers of Essential Garments in Kaliakair and several other garment factories first blocked a regional road demanding an increase in pay and wages. They later came and took position on the Dhaka-Tangail highway.

SP Amjad Hossain said members of the Industrial Police and the district police were trying to persuade the workers and move them off the road.

He also said the government has decided to form a wage board. Discussions were under way with the workers, urging them to be patient on this matter. At the same time, workers were being warned not to become involved in provocative activities, he said.