Workers at C Stage BD Limited blocked the Dhaka–Mymensingh Highway in Sreepur, Gazipur, on Thursday, demanding payment of their outstanding wages for September. Police fired several sound grenades to disperse the protesters and restore traffic after the blockade had continued for about an hour.
The demonstration began at around 8.30am on 15 October near MC Bazar in the Mulaid area of Sreepur, bringing traffic to a standstill on both sides of the busy highway. The disruption caused lengthy queues of vehicles and inconvenience for commuters and transport operators travelling along the route.
Workers involved in the protest, identified as Tarikul, Mafuz and Hasmat Ali, said the factory management had failed to honour its commitment to pay their outstanding September wages.
According to the workers, they staged a protest on 10 October over the unpaid salaries. Following that demonstration, the management reportedly promised to settle the outstanding payments by 13 October. However, the money was not paid on the promised date.
The workers said Wednesday had subsequently been set as another payment deadline, but the management continued to delay payment instead of clearing their dues. Frustrated by the repeated delays and unfulfilled assurances, they decided to resume their protest on Thursday morning.
The factory management declared a general holiday on Thursday amid the unrest. The workers then gathered on the Dhaka–Mymensingh Highway at around 8.30am and blocked traffic, demanding that their outstanding wages be paid.
Industrial police arrived at the scene and urged the demonstrators to clear the road so that traffic could resume. Officers also proposed discussions with the factory management to find a resolution to the wage dispute.
The workers, however, rejected the proposal and continued the blockade. As congestion mounted on both sides of the highway, police eventually fired several sound grenades to disperse the crowd and remove the demonstrators from the road. Traffic subsequently began to return to normal.
Mohammad Amzad Hossain, superintendent of police at Gazipur Industrial Police-2, confirmed that the workers had blocked the highway over their unpaid September salaries.
He said the police had asked the protesters to leave the road and offered to facilitate discussions with the factory owners over the outstanding payments. However, the workers continued their demonstration despite the appeal, prompting the police to use several sound grenades to clear the highway.
Hossain added that a decision on the wage issue would be reached following discussions with the factory management. He also rejected the workers’ allegation that machinery was being removed from the factory, saying the claim was not accurate.
The immediate disruption to traffic was brought under control, but the workers’ outstanding wages remained the central issue in the dispute. The management’s reported failure to meet successive payment deadlines has raised concerns among the employees about when they will receive their earnings.
The incident also highlights the potential consequences of unresolved wage disputes in industrial areas. Delayed salary payments can place considerable financial pressure on workers who depend on regular earnings to meet household expenses. When negotiations fail to produce a timely settlement, protests can disrupt not only factory operations but also transport links used by thousands of people.
As discussions between the factory management and the authorities are expected to determine the next steps, the workers are awaiting a clear decision on when their September wages will be paid. No final settlement or confirmed payment date had been announced in the information available at the time of reporting.