RMG workers vandalise 2 factories, vehicles in Ashulia

The ongoing labour movement in Ashulia demanding an increase in the minimum wages of garment sector workers took a destructive turn as agitated RMG workers vandalised two garment factories and two vehicles on the fifth day of the protest.

According to eyewitnesses and local reports, the incidents occurred between 10 am and 12 pm, where workers targeted Fashion Globe Group's clothing factory AR Jeans Producer Ltd and NASA Group's Saiin Apparels, both located in the Kathgara area of Ashulia.

In addition to the factory damage, angry workers also vandalised a private car and a Noah microbus kept in the garage of the AR Jeans Producer Ltd factory.

The situation was eventually brought under control as members of the industrial police chased and dispersed the agitating workers by firing several rounds of tear gas shells.

Wishing anonymity, an official from the industrial police provided insights, stating, "The overall situation in Ashulia remained stable until noon. However, at around 12:30pm, a sudden gathering of two to three thousand workers from several factories in Kathgara's Amtala area led to the vandalism of NASA Group's Saiin Apparels factory."

He further said, "During this incident, the workers forcefully entered the factory damaging the gate, hurled brick chips, shattered the factory's glass, and destroyed CCTV cameras. Subsequently, the police intervened and dispersed the crowd."

RAK Liton, the company secretary of Fashion Globe Group, explained, "Our factory was running as usual in the morning. However, after 10am, apparel workers of adjacent factories unexpectedly attacked our factory, attempting to incite our workers. As a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of our employees, we declared a general holiday for today."

"During the chaos, the striking workers targeted a private car and a Noah microbus owned by the company, which were parked in our factory's garage," he added.

A visit to various areas in Ashulia revealed that, apart from two incidents in the Kathgara area, the overall situation appeared relatively normal compared to previous days. Most factories were found to be closed, except for a few located near the main road, and no labour protests were reported in these areas until 1pm.

In an effort to ensure the security of industrial infrastructure, law enforcement forces were stationed in front of factories at various key points, with water cannons on standby. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members were also seen patrolling the area with armored personnel carriers (APCs).

Lieutenant Colonel Rezaul Kabir, in charge of Ashulia area for the BGB, said, "We have deployed 10 platoons of BGB members in Ashulia since yesterday, and we are fully prepared to prevent any untoward situations while conducting patrolling activities."

Mohammad Sarwar Alam, superintendent of Ashulia Industrial Police-1, said, "With a few isolated incidents aside, the overall condition in Ashulia has improved today compared to the previous days. Even yesterday was notably better. Traffic on the roads is also back to normal. In some areas, workers attempted to cause disruptions, but we managed to maintain order. For now, the situation is under control."