Most RMG factories reopen in Ashulia after closure due to workers' unrest

Nearly all garment factories in the Ashulia industrial area, which were closed following workers' unrest, have reopened today.

Workers were seen entering the factories peacefully from this morning.

Around 130 factories of the 1,792 factories under the Industrial Zone Police-1 in Savar, Ashulia, and Dhamrai had been closed under Section 13/1 of the Labour Act since November 11, which has a provision of "No work No pay".

The factories were closed following workers' demonstrations demanding an increase in the minimum wage of Tk 23,000 and later rejecting the declared minimum wage of Tk 12,500.

Muhammad Sarwar Alam, superintendent of police of Ashulia Industrial Police-1, confirmed the developments to The Daily Star this afternoon.

"All factories, with the exception of one or two that were closed under the section, reopened today," he said.

"Workers are doing their jobs peacefully."

He added that additional police officers had been stationed in the vicinity of the factories to prevent any untoward incidents, and that things were better and closer to normal today than they had been the previous few days.

While on a visit to the Ashulia industrial area, our Savar correspondent saw workers of multiple garment factories entering their workplaces in the areas of Jamgora, Beron, Narsinghpur, Nishchintapur, Zirabo, and Kathgara.

There were police personnel stationed in front of different factories. Vehicles equipped with water cannons were kept ready to handle unforeseen circumstances.

After speaking to the workers, it was learned that factory officials called the employees last night to let them know that the factory would reopen today and to ask them to report to work.

According to Morzina, a garment worker, managing a family under the new wage structure would be challenging.

"But since we have nowhere else to go, we must work. We responded to the factory authority's direction to report for duty today," she said.

Meanwhile, another female worker claimed that she was fired for speaking with the media during the unrest.

Sabina Akhter from Jamgora expressed her dissatisfaction to this correspondent by saying, "I just said in the media during the unrest, 'The room rent is Tk 3,500 and the price of onions is Tk 120 per kg. With this salary, how would we support our family?' Did I say anything offensive? I received a call from the factory today informing me that I was fired as I made a media appearance."

She started crying, saying the factory owner fired her after she spoke the truth. "I haven't done anything wrong, and if I have, I'm asking the prime minister to punish me, and the factory authorities to punish me, and I will take it," she added.

Sarwar Hossain, general secretary of Garment Sramik Unity League, said when there was any unrest, the authorities fire or suspend the workers. Such unethical behaviour has been prevalent for a while. He said he would ask the owner to stop using this method.

He went on to say that those who committed injustice and damaged factories during the unrest were not workers. Many complaints have been made, and many workers have been accused in these cases. In such situations, he will ask police to make sure that no employees are harassed, he said.

The workers are terrified and in a panic, he added.

Meanwhile, SM Kamruzzaman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Ashulia Police Station, said different factory authorities have so far filed 17 cases related to workers' unrest. Fifteen people have been arrested so far.