Garment workers block highway in Sreepur, traffic resumes after two hours
Rafiqul Islam Biplob, Gazipur
Workers of HDF Apparels Limited factory in Sripur, Gazipur, blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway for two and a half hours demanding Eid bonus, payment of two months' arrears of salary and reopening of the factory. The protesting workers blocked the highway from 10:30 am to 1 pm on Thursday.
Over 300 HDF Apparels Limited factory workers in Jainabazar (Abdar) area of the upazila protested at Jainabazar on the highway. This caused heavy traffic jams on both sides of the highway, causing hardship to drivers and passengers. After receiving the information, the army reached the spot at 1 pm and cleared the workers from the road, and traffic flow returned to normal.
The protesting workers said that they have been protesting on the road since 10:30 am demanding the payment of Eid bonus and March arrears. Due to the lack of work orders, the authorities declared the factory closed before Eid without paying the March salary and Eid bonus. Although the factory was supposed to open on the 10th of this month after the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday, the authorities again announced the opening of the factory today (April 17) due to lack of work. This morning, the workers came to join work and found that the authorities had extended the holiday by five days without informing anyone and announced the opening of the factory on April 22.
The workers also said that the owner is wasting time by repeatedly putting up notices to close the factory without providing any proper solution to our arrears. When we came to join work after the holiday, we saw the notice to close the factory. Today, we were forced to block the road by taking a position on the highway demanding the payment of our fair arrears and the opening of the factory.
Humayun Chowdhury, owner of HDF Garment Factory in Jaina Bazar (Abdar) area, told reporters that the factory has been temporarily closed due to insufficient work. We will open the factory after fulfilling all the demands of the workers within a short time.
Ayub Ali, OC of Maona Highway Police Station in Sreepur, said, workers of HDF Garment Factory in Jaina Bazar (Abdar) area protested on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway from 10:30 am. At one point, they took up positions on the road and blocked it. Due to the blockade, a traffic jam of several kilometers was created on both sides of the highway. Upon receiving the information, the police station and highway police reached the spot and tried to convince the workers. Later, when the army reached the spot and convinced the workers and removed them from the road, traffic flow returned to normal at 1 pm.
Gazipur Industrial Police Inspector Abdul Latif said, with the joint efforts of the army and the police, the traffic flow returned to normal after the workers were convinced and removed from the highway.
