Workers of readymade garment (RMG) factories staged demonstration in Savar and Gazipur demanding wage hike and payment of outstanding wages on Saturday. In Savar, production of 10 garment factories, including Rose Dresses Limited owned by BGMEA President Atikul Islam, was suspended following labour unrest in Ashulia on the day. Badrul Alam, officer-in-charge of Ashulia Police Station, said workers of a garment factory staged demonstration demanding wage hike at Jamgarah in Ashulia on Saturday morning. Being informed, police rushed in and lobbed teargas shells to disperse them. Following the unrest, the authorities of the 10 garment factories suspended their production for the day. In Gazipur, workers of several garment factories blocked the Dhaka-Tangail Highway demanding hike in wage as per production and payment of their due arrears. Witnesses said at first workers of three sweater factories from Konabari and Naojor areas of the city took to the streets at about 9:00 am and staged demonstrations in the morning demanding production-basis wage hike in their factories and payment of due wages. They put up barricade on the Dhaka-Tangail Highway, disrupting traffic. At one stage, workers of several garment factories joined them and staged demonstration for wage hike. Being informed, police rushed in and tried to disperse them when a chase and counter-chase took place between them, triggering a clash that left 10 people injured. During the clash, police lobbed teargas shells and fired several rubber bullets. Later, the authorities suspended production in 30 factories for today. Traffic movement on the busy road returned to normalcy after one hour. – UNB
