Workers block Dhaka-Mymensingh highway to protest factory closure

Workers of a ready-made garments factory staged a protest on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Gazipur, halting traffic for three hours today.
The protest started at 8:00am, sparked by the sudden closure of the factory.
Around 100 workers blocked the highway until 11:30am at the Signboard area, demanding the reversal of the announcement that would lead to them being laid off, said Ashok Kumar, deputy assistant commissioner of Gazipur Traffic Police.
“We are living through uncertainty. We do not accept such continuous layoffs,” said one worker.
The protest led to traffic congestion on the highway, leaving thousands of vehicles stranded.
Mosharraf Hossain, assistant superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police, said the cause of the protest is dissatisfaction with layoffs and unpaid wages.
Factory management has scheduled a meeting with workers at 3:00pm today to address their concerns, he added.