Garment workers block Dhaka-M'singh highway for 4hrs
They claim 400 workers were sacked in one week
Workers of a knitwear factory yesterday blockaded Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in Bhabanipur area of Gazipur for four hours.
The workers, from CA Knitwear Ltd of NZ Group, demonstrated on the highway from 8:00am till noon to protest against termination of workers and to demand relevant compensation from the factory authorities as per the labour law.
A 10-kilometre-long traffic congestion was created on both sides of the road due to the agitation.
After failing to dissuade the workers from continuing their blockade, members of Maona Highway and Industrial police dispersed them by charging batons, firing blank shots and lobbing tear gas canisters, said Delwar Hossain, officer-in-charge of Maona Highway Police.
Rokeya Begum, a CA Knitwear worker who took part in the agitation, said the factory authorities had been firing workers over trivial matters -- talking to each other during work hours, taking time for prayers and spending excessive time in the lavatory.
At least 400 workers were terminated last week alone on such grounds, she said, claiming that the terminated workers were not paid any compensation that is mandatory under the labour law.
This correspondent was not able to speak with any member of the factory management for their comments as of filing this report last evening.