Authorities have ordered the temporary closure of all ready-made garment factories across a 13-kilometre stretch from Konabari to Chandra in Gazipur following widespread worker demonstrations along the vital transport artery. The decision was taken on Saturday afternoon after thousands of apparel workers blockaded the Dhaka-Tangail highway to press for a revised minimum monthly wage of BDT 30,000.

Trouble began shortly after midday when employees at the Interstop factory refused to enter their production floors, gathering instead outside the facility gates to voice their financial demands. The movement quickly gathered momentum as workers from neighbouring units poured into the streets to show solidarity. Within hours, the crowd coalesced near the Chandra Palli Bidyut area, mounting a full road blockade that brought vehicular movement on the primary highway connecting the capital to northern districts to a standstill.

The resulting traffic gridlock extended for miles on both sides of the corridor, stranding long-distance buses, private vehicles, and freight trucks. Commuters endured severe hardship under the afternoon sun as security forces moved in to manage the unfolding disruption. Factory management teams across the industrial belt elected to suspend operations for the remainder of the day, releasing staff early to prevent potential vandalism and safeguard facility infrastructure.

Police officials actively engaged with demonstrator representatives throughout the afternoon in an effort to restore order. Shahidul Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Kaliakair Police Station, confirmed that officers worked to reason with the protesting workers, persuading them to clear the highway and allow traffic to resume safely.

The unrest in Gazipur coincides with parallel labor disturbances in the neighbouring industrial hub of Ashulia, near Savar. Workers in Ashulia took to the streets over matching demands, calling for a BDT 30,000 minimum wage floor and an immediate end to the practice of blacklisting outspoken labor activists. Tensions escalated during the Ashulia demonstrations, leading to violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement personnel. A member of the Industrial Police sustained injuries after being struck by brickbats thrown from the crowd during a heated standoff, underscoring the volatile situation across the nation’s apparel manufacturing heartland.