Workers demonstrate in Gazipur demanding extension of Eid vacation
Workers of a shoe factory in Gazipur's Kaliakair staged a demonstration on Sunday demanding extension of their Eid-ul-Adha holidays.
The agitating workers had kept the Dhaka-Tangail highway blocked for around four hours. During this time, they also vandalised some vehicles and the camera of a journalist.
At one point, police fired rubber bullets at the protesters to bring the situation under control.
Inspector of Industrial Police Islam Hossain said the workers of a shoe factory of Apex Footwear Ltd had been asking for a 10-day Eid vacation for the last few days, but the factory authorities announced that the Eid holiday will be 4-day one.
Upon hearing this on Sunday morning, the workers got furious and called a strike, he said, adding that around 10am, the workers left the factory together, blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway and started a demonstration.
Police initially tried to calm the workers to bring the situation under control. But the workers demanded the presence of factory owner on the spot.
Since the factory owner Monjurul Elahi, former advisor to a caretaker government, couldn't manage to go to the spot amid Covid-19 pandemic, he talked to the workers on a video call.
He assured the workers of meeting all their demands. He also told them that their Eid vacation will be extended to 8 days. But the workers were reluctant to leave the street and still demanded the presence of the factory owner.
Police, around 2pm, tried to move the demonstrators from the street. But the workers started throwing brickbats at the policemen. To bring the situation under control, they started firing rubber bullets at the protesters.
Inspector of Industrial Police Rezaul Karum Reza said police fired 9 rounds of rubber bullets.
Police also claimed that no one got injured in the clash.