A garment factory situated in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, faced an early closure as over 500 workers staged a protest on Tuesday (16th January) against the alleged unjust dismissal of their colleagues.
Media reports maintained this adding, that the demonstration took place at Anlima Textile Limited in the Ulail area of Savar along the Dhaka-Aricha highway, prompting a work stoppage and protest on the factory premises starting at 9 am.
Despite attempts by authorities to pacify the demonstrators, the situation reportedly remained tense, leading to the decision to shut down operations for the day around 2:30 pm even as officials concerned announced their intention to address the workers’ grievances in a meeting scheduled for the next day, involving representatives from both the company and the BGMEA.
Md Qayyum, assistant vice president (HR Admin) of the factory reportedly told the media, “Due to the workers’ agitation, the factory was declared closed for the day at around 2:30 pm. Following the announcement, workers vacated the premises by 3 pm.”
He mentioned that while initial plans were made to engage in discussions with the workers, the management’s decision was yet to be confirmed.
The protesting workers claimed that the factory management had been dismissing their colleagues without adhering to proper procedures in the preceding days, withholding wages and other benefits.