All factories in Ashulia to reopen tomorrow amid labour unrest

Factory owners have decided to reopen factories in Dhaka’s Ashulia tomorrow (14 September) amid the ongoing labour unrest.

The decision was taken at a meeting of local leaders and factory owners held in Ashulia this afternoon, said Mohammad Sohel Sadat, director of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA). 

Earlier on 12 September, at least 219 factories in the Ashulia Industrial Zone remained closed in face of labour protests.

The apparel industries located in Savar, Ashulia, and Zirani, on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka have become the main victims of the ongoing labour unrest, which has persisted for the past 15 days.

According to industry insiders, the unrest initially stemmed from internal issues at a few specific factories and has since escalated.

These factories, which were largely beneficiaries of the previous government, have often suspended wage increments over the past three years, paid management staff salaries irregularly, and failed to provide its staff with maternity and earned leaves.

These long-standing grievances have contributed to the current instability in the region, they added.