Unrest erupted in Savar and Gazipur on Monday as workers from two garment factories clashed with law enforcement over unpaid wages.

The situation led to violent protests with workers blocking key roads, setting fire to vehicles and torching a factory.

On the Chandra-Nabinagar highway in Gazipur, vehicular movement was suspended throughout the day as workers from the Beximco Industrial Park blocked the road around 9 AM. They were demanding the clearance of their unpaid dues.

Meanwhile, workers from Doreen Garment Factory also staged protests, calling for the reopening of their factory, which had been shut down.

Kashimpur Police Station officer-in-charge Saiful Islam explained that Beximco workers were protesting because the factory authorities had failed to pay their wages following the arrest of businessman Salman F. Rahman, who is also a former adviser to Prime Minister Hasina. The closure of Doreen Factory further fueled the unrest, prompting workers to take to the streets in anger.

Law enforcement, including industrial police, regular police, and army personnel, were deployed to disperse the protesters. Tensions escalated into clashes, with workers and law enforcers engaging in a chase, resulting in several injuries. Amid the chaos, workers set fire to a vehicle on the highway.

In Ashulia, Savar, workers from Beximco and Doreen factories targeted Amazon Knitwear Ltd, located in the Jirani Nabi Textile area. They forced the factory’s management to halt production. Tensions inside the factory escalated when workers were reportedly assaulted by factory owners and staff. Outsiders joined the fray, causing extensive vandalism, which included setting fire to the factory. The fire spread to a nearby workers’ colony, destroying 20 rooms before firefighting teams were able to control the blaze after three hours.

The unrest is not an isolated incident. Workers at the Beximco factory had been staging protests for the past week, demanding their unpaid wages. The violence and disruptions in both Savar and Gazipur have raised concerns about the growing dissatisfaction among garment workers, who are calling for their rights to be respected and their wages to be paid in full.