Workers at C Stage BD Limited blocked the Dhaka–Mymensingh Highway in Sreepur, Gazipur, on Thursday, demanding payment of their outstanding September wages. Police fired several sound grenades to disperse the protesters and restore traffic after the blockade had continued for about an hour.
The demonstration began at around 8.30am on 15 October near MC Bazar in the Mulaid area of Sreepur. The workers took up positions on the highway, bringing traffic to a halt in both directions and causing lengthy queues of vehicles. The disruption inconvenienced commuters and transport operators using the busy route.
Workers involved in the protest, identified as Tarikul, Mafuz and Hasmat Ali, said the factory management had repeatedly failed to fulfil its promises to pay their outstanding salaries.
According to the workers, they staged a protest on 10 October over the unpaid wages. Following that demonstration, the management promised to pay their September salaries by 13 October. However, the payment was not made on the agreed date.
The workers said Wednesday was subsequently set as another deadline for settling the dues, but the management continued to delay payment. Frustrated by the repeated postponements, they decided to resume their protest on Thursday morning.
The factory management declared a general holiday on Thursday amid the unrest. Nevertheless, the workers gathered on the Dhaka–Mymensingh Highway at around 8.30am and blocked the road, demanding that their outstanding wages be paid.
Industrial police arrived at the scene and urged the protesters to leave the highway so that traffic could resume. Officers also proposed discussions with the factory management to find a solution to the wage dispute.
The workers, however, rejected the proposal and continued the blockade. As congestion grew on both sides of the highway, police eventually fired several sound grenades to disperse the crowd and clear the road. Traffic gradually returned to normal after the protesters moved away.
Mohammad Amzad Hossain, superintendent of police at Gazipur Industrial Police-2, confirmed that the workers had blocked the highway over their unpaid September salaries.
He said the police had asked the demonstrators to leave the road and offered to facilitate discussions with the factory owners over the outstanding payments. However, the workers continued their protest despite the appeal, prompting officers to use several sound grenades to clear the highway.
Hossain added that a decision on the wage issue would be reached after discussions with the factory management. He also rejected the workers’ allegation that machinery was being removed from the factory, saying the claim was not accurate.
The immediate disruption to traffic was brought under control, but the central issue remained unresolved: the workers had yet to receive their outstanding wages, and no confirmed payment date was announced in the information available.
The dispute highlights the difficulties that delayed salary payments can create for industrial workers who rely on regular earnings to meet household expenses. When agreed payment dates pass without settlement, frustration can escalate into demonstrations that disrupt both factory operations and public transport.
A timely resolution would require the management to address the outstanding payments and communicate a clear position to its employees. Until an agreement is reached, uncertainty over the wages may continue to fuel tensions between workers and the factory authorities.