Authorities have announced the indefinite closure of seven garment factories in the Savar and Ashulia industrial belt near Dhaka following continued labour unrest. The closures have been ordered under Section 13(1) of the Bangladesh Labour Act, which means workers will not receive wages for the period covered by the shutdown under the ‘no work, no pay’ provision.
Although production continued normally at most factories across the industrial area, work stoppages at several facilities in the Jamgora and Narshinghpur areas prompted management to declare general holidays. Several platoons of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed, while other law enforcement agencies remain on alert to prevent further disorder.
According to workers and industrial police sources, four factories were ordered to close indefinitely from Thursday because of persistent labour unrest. Three of them are part of the Arunima Group, located in Zirabo, Ashulia: Arunima Sports Wear Ltd, DMC Apparels Ltd and DMC Washing Ltd. The fourth is Jeans Manufacturing Company Ltd, situated in the Padma intersection area of Hemayetpur, Savar.
Three other factories belonging to the Newage Group were closed earlier on Tuesday under the same provision. They are Newage Garments Ltd, Newage Apparels Ltd and Kailk Newage Bangladesh Ltd, all located in the Nishchintapur area of Ashulia. The total number of factories facing indefinite closure has therefore risen to seven.
A visit to different parts of the industrial belt on Thursday morning, 12 November, found that workers at most garment factories had reported for duty as usual. However, employees at several factories in Jamgora and Narshinghpur stopped working after entering their workplaces and remained inside the premises. Management subsequently declared general holidays, after which the workers left the factories.
Some workers attempted to gather on the Abdullahpur-Baipail highway, but police intervention led them to leave the road and return home.
The decision to close factories under Section 13(1) has raised concerns among labour representatives. Khairul Mamun Mintu, legal affairs secretary of the Bangladesh Garments and Sweaters Workers Trade Union Centre, said the provision deprives workers of wages during the closure period. He warned that withholding income could deepen workers’ frustration and potentially intensify the unrest rather than resolve it.
Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan, superintendent of police at Industrial Police-1, said the situation across Savar and Ashulia was considerably better on Thursday than it had been the previous day. Most workers had joined their shifts voluntarily and production was continuing normally at the majority of factories.
He said workers at several factories in Jamgora had punched their attendance cards before leaving their workplaces. Further reports indicated that employees at another factory had also walked out. In total, workers from six factories had left without carrying out their duties, he said.
Bhuiyan added that workers from several floors of one factory had walked out and that an individual was seen throwing stones at the gate of the AM Design factory. The person was taken into custody and sent to the police station for questioning. He alleged that outside groups were encouraging workers through social media to stop work, even though no specific demands had been raised by some of those leaving their workplaces.
Industrial Police-1 has increased patrols across the area in coordination with Dhaka District Police. Officers are speaking with workers, local residents and landlords in an effort to maintain calm and encourage employees to return to work. According to the police superintendent, the factories currently closed are expected to reopen once conditions return to normal.
Dhaka District Police Superintendent Shamima Parveen also described the overall situation in Savar and Ashulia as calm. She said most garment factories remained open and workers were carrying out their duties, while a small number of factories had declared holidays after employees stopped working.
Parveen alleged that certain groups, including members of an organisation whose activities are currently banned, had attempted to exploit workers’ emotions to create disorder in the industrial belt. She said law enforcement agencies had taken firm action against such activities and that factory owners and labour leaders were also cooperating with the authorities. She added that several people had been arrested in connection with the incidents.
Speaking about workers’ pay, the district police chief said a wage board had been formed through a government initiative and that workers would receive increased wages from January. She also referred to a provision for distributing 10 kilograms of rice to workers each month.
The developments have once again highlighted the delicate balance between maintaining production in Bangladesh’s garment industry and addressing workers’ concerns over wages and working conditions. Savar and Ashulia are major centres of the country’s export-oriented clothing sector, employing large numbers of workers. Prolonged disruption in the area can affect factory operations and supply commitments, while measures that leave workers without wages may add to financial pressure on already vulnerable households.
With seven factories now closed indefinitely and work stoppages reported at several others, the immediate priority remains restoring normal operations while addressing the concerns behind the unrest. The reopening of the closed factories will depend on a return to normal conditions, but the concerns raised by labour representatives underline the importance of resolving disputes through dialogue between workers and management.
