Gazipur Garment Factory Shuts Amid Labour Unrest

A garment factory employing around 8,000 workers in Gazipur’s Kaliakair upazila has been closed indefinitely after a prolonged labour dispute over unpaid wages and workplace grievances. The management of Karoni Fashions Limited announced that the closure took effect from Saturday under the provisions of Bangladesh’s Labour Act, citing continued production disruptions and workers’ refusal to resume duties.

According to police and workers, the factory, located in the Ratanpur area of Salipur, is one of the larger apparel manufacturing facilities in the locality and provides employment to approximately 8,000 people. The company issued a notice last Wednesday informing employees that the factory would remain closed until further notice.

Mejbaur Rahman Khan, Deputy Managing Director of Karoni Fashions Limited, said the decision was taken to defuse growing labour unrest and restore order within the workplace.

“We have declared the factory closed indefinitely to resolve the ongoing labour dispute. Operations will resume once the situation returns to normal,” he said.

The company’s official notice explained that workers from the garments division suddenly stopped production on the afternoon of 8 July. Although they reported to the factory the following morning, they allegedly declined to resume work despite repeated requests from management. As a result, the authorities decided to suspend operations from 11 July in accordance with Section 13(1) of the Bangladesh Labour Act, which permits the temporary closure of a workplace under specific circumstances.

Local police confirmed that tensions had been building at the factory for several days before the shutdown. Shahidul Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Kaliakair Police Station, said the closure had not triggered any major unrest or violence.

“The factory has been shut, but no untoward incidents have occurred so far. We are closely monitoring the situation,” he said.

Workers, however, presented a different account of the dispute. They alleged that their monthly salaries had not been paid in full and were instead being released in instalments. According to them, the delayed payments made it increasingly difficult to pay house rent, purchase essential goods and meet other household expenses. Frustration over these financial difficulties ultimately led workers to halt production.

Representatives of the labour movement also criticised the company’s handling of workers’ dues. Shafiul Alam, President of the Gazipur Metropolitan branch of the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation, said employees had informed the organisation that outstanding wages and other legitimate payments had not been settled properly. He alleged that, rather than addressing the workers’ concerns through dialogue, the management chose to suspend factory operations.

The latest closure comes against the backdrop of a series of disruptions in Gazipur’s garment sector, one of Bangladesh’s most important industrial hubs. Earlier this month, on 1 July, the authorities announced the indefinite closure of Islam Garments Limited (Unit-2) in the Konabari area of Gazipur. On the same day, the owners of five garment factories under the Lithi Group in the Bagher Bazar area also suspended operations indefinitely, leaving several thousand workers without work.

Bangladesh’s ready-made garment industry remains the country’s largest export-earning sector and employs millions of workers, many of whom rely on regular monthly wages to support their families. Labour disputes involving delayed wage payments, factory closures and employment uncertainty continue to pose significant challenges for both workers and manufacturers. Industry observers note that resolving such disputes through constructive dialogue between employers, employees and labour representatives remains essential to maintaining industrial stability and protecting livelihoods.