Workers block highway in Gazipur demanding jobs, 10 factories closed

Workers in Gazipur have blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, demanding reinstatement in jobs and new recruitment.

They obstructed the highway in the Bhogra Chowdhurybari area of the city around 8:30 am on Wednesday and held a protest march.

As a result, traffic was halted, causing significant inconvenience to passengers.

In response to the situation, at least 10 factories have declared a holiday.

The protesting workers expressed frustration over signs in front of most factories in Gazipur stating “No Hiring”.

Hundreds of workers gather outside factories seeking employment from 1 to 5 of every month.

Despite the notices claiming that recruitment is paused, the workers allege that female workers are being secretly hired. Male workers, after joining the factories, have protested with various demands, accusing the factories of discrimination in hiring practices by favouring female workers.

Around 8:30 this morning, hundreds of workers gathered in the Bhogra area and blocked the highway, demanding jobs. They then asked workers from other factories to join them at the factory gates.

When their calls were ignored, bricks were thrown in protest. In response, factories from Chandna Chowrasta to Bhogra were the first to be declared closed.

Gradually, holidays were announced for workers in factories along the Chandna Chowrasta to Joydebpur Road area. Many workers went home after the holiday was declared, while others joined the protest.

Between 8:30 am and 10:30 am, 10 factories in Gazipur, including Belmond, Techno Fiber Ltd., Interling, Euromic Tax Limited, and Rua Fashion, were reported to be on holiday.

Angry worker Alim Hossain said, “Whenever you go to a nearby factory, you’ll see a sign saying ‘recruitment is closed’. But they are secretly hiring people.”

He shared that he has been unemployed for the past four months, and many garment factories are not hiring male workers. In some factories, even female workers are being laid off. The workers took to the streets to demand the reinstatement of dismissed workers and the hiring of male workers.

Gazipur industrial area police superintendent Sarwar Alam told Prothom Alo that several garment factory workers protested and blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway with various demands, including employment. Holidays were declared in 10-12 factories this morning.

The industrial police arrived at the scene, spoke with the workers, and attempted to normalise the situation, he added.