Rafiqul Islam Biplob 

Workers of Honeywell Garments Limited held a protest and demonstration in Gazipur on Monday, demanding the clearance of their outstanding wages. Hundreds of protesting workers gathered on the road in front of the factory in the Konabari (Ambagh) area under Gazipur City Corporation, setting fire to tires to block traffic and chanting slogans.

The road blockade and demonstration began on Monday morning . As of 3:15 PM, the workers were still maintaining their position in front of the factory premise.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a protesting worker said, "Our salaries were supposed to be disbursed on the 10th of this month. Instead of clearing the dues, the management posted a lay-off notice on the gate. For the past 11 months, they have been paying us irregularly. Today is the 21st, and landlords are threatening to evict us for unpaid rent. We are poor people living hand-to-mouth; how are we supposed to survive? The management has also blocked our biometric records, preventing us from taking jobs elsewhere. Why does the owner treat us like this every month? Are we not human beings just because we work in a garment factory?

Another worker expressed similar grievances: "We haven't received our August salary yet. They promised to pay on September 10th after our shift, but instead, they announced a temporary closure via SMS without mentioning anything about our wages. We cannot live like this. By law, if a factory is laid off, the previous month's salary must be cleared first. Furthermore, they blocked our fingerprints, so we can't join other factories, and there is no direct way to contact the owner. We came to the factory gate hoping for a resolution."

Highlighting the crisis, another worker said, "We can't find the CEO, GM, or manager here. Who will pay us? Landlords are arguing over rent, and local shopkeepers refuse to extend us credit for daily groceries. For two months, we have been living in hardship. Every day they send text messages—who are we supposed to ask? That's why we took to the streets today. We won't leave until we get a concrete solution."

Sumona Akter, a female worker, said, "The management stalls our salary every month. We can't pay house rent, grocery bills, or our children's school fees. Why is our unit facing such problems when workers at the owner's other factories receive their pay regularly?"

Around 500 workers remained at the scene, demanding immediate payment of their dues. Many expressed deep financial distress and noted that families are living in inhumane conditions. Protesters warned of tougher programs if their two months' outstanding wages are not paid promptly.

Personnel from the Industrial Police and Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP) Konabari Police Station were deployed to the site to maintain order. The situation remains under control.

Attempts to reach factory management for comment regarding the workers' allegations were unsuccessful.

Iftekar Hossain, OC  of Konabari Police Station under GMP, stated that discussions are underway with the owners to resolve the issue.

Mohammad Amjad Hossain, Superintendent of Police (SP) of Gazipur Industrial Police-2, said, "Workers blocked the feeder road demanding two months of unpaid wages. We are speaking with representatives of the factory owner to find a solution.