Authorities have declared an indefinite closure of seven readymade garment factories in Dhaka’s Savar and Ashulia industrial belt following persistent labour unrest. The shutdowns were enforced under Section 13(1) of the Bangladesh Labour Act. Whilst production continued normally across most plants in the industrial zone, management at several factories in Jamgara and Narsinghpur declared general holidays after workers staged work stoppages. To prevent any escalation of disorder, several platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed alongside law enforcement agencies maintaining heightened vigilance.
According to labour and industrial police sources, four factories were shut indefinitely starting Thursday (12 November). These include three units of the Arunima Group in Ashulia’s Zirabo area—Arunima Sportswear Limited, DMC Apparels Limited, and DMC Washing Limited—alongside Jeans Manufacturing Company Limited, located at Padmar Mor in Savar’s Hemayetpur. Earlier on Tuesday, management invoked the same legal provision to close three Newage Group factories in Ashulia’s Nishchintapur area: Newage Garments Limited, Newage Apparels Limited, and Keilock Newage Bangladesh Limited. Under Section 13(1) of the Labour Act, closures operate on a ‘no work, no pay’ basis, meaning workers receive no wages for the duration of the shutdown.
On Thursday morning, visits to various parts of the industrial belt showed that the majority of garment workers reported to duty peacefully. However, employees at several factories in Jamgara and Narsinghpur clocked in before initiating sit-in work stoppages inside the premises. Management subsequently announced general holidays, prompting the workers to leave. A small group attempted to gather on the Abdullahpur-Baipail highway, though swift police intervention persuaded them to disperse and return home. Meanwhile, Khairul Mamun Mintu, Legal Affairs Secretary of the Bangladesh Garments and Sweaters Workers Trade Union Centre, voiced concern over the Section 13(1) closures, warning that depriving workers of wages risks deepening frustration and provoking fresh agitation.
Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan, Superintendent of Industrial Police-1, noted that the overall situation across Savar and Ashulia on Thursday had improved markedly compared to the previous day. Most workers returned to their stations spontaneously, keeping production steady. In the morning, employees at several Jamgara units punched their attendance cards and walked out, followed later by workers at another plant, bringing the total to six factories where staff left without working. Bhuiyan added that after workers from several floors of one facility exited, an individual was caught throwing stones at the gate of AM Design’s factory and was promptly detained for questioning. He observed that external quarters were using social media to instigate walkouts even though workers had raised no specific demands. Joint patrols with Dhaka District Police have been intensified, and officers are engaging with workers, local residents, and landlords to preserve calm. Factory owners have indicated that closed units will reopen once normalcy is fully restored.
Dhaka District Superintendent of Police (SP) Shamima Parveen affirmed that the broader industrial zone remained peaceful, with most factories operating and general holidays declared in only one or two plants where staff sat idle. She alleged that vested groups and members of banned organisations had sought to exploit worker sentiment to stir instability, an effort firmly countered by law enforcement with cooperation from factory owners and labour leaders. Pointing to government welfare measures, she noted that a wage board has been established to deliver pay increases starting next January, alongside plans to provide 10 kilograms of rice per month to workers. Several individuals linked to the disturbances, including suspected members of banned outfits, have already been arrested, and the SP warned that strict legal action awaits anyone attempting to disrupt order in Savar-Ashulia or elsewhere in the country.
