Anti India Yunus pushes Bangladesh into deep crisis, thousands of Bangladeshis on streets of Dhaka protesting against….

Several reports suggest that the ongoing protests have led to the closure of multiple factories. During these demonstrations, several workers have lost their lives or sustained serious injuries.

Dhaka: Thousands of workers gathered in Bangladesh’s capital on Saturday and blocked a highway, demanding the reopening of factories, annual leave, pending dues, and bonuses. The workers obstructed the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway for two hours, disrupting traffic and causing inconvenience to commuters.

Several reports suggest that the ongoing protests have led to the closure of multiple factories. During these demonstrations, several workers have lost their lives or sustained serious injuries.

The Protests

Workers of the Giant Knit Garment Factory in Dhaka division’s Gazipur district started protesting following a factory closure notice. Gazipur Industrial Police Sub-Inspector (SI) Faruk Hossain stated that workers protested on Thursday over demands like – leave and bonus payments. In response of the protests, the factory authorities issued a closure notice, The Dhaka Tribune reported. Despite several negotiation talks with officials over leave and bonus, the workers’ issues could not be resolved.

Bangladesh People Are In Distress During Ramadan

“We are struggling to survive with our families. Eid is approaching, yet there is no guarantee of our holiday payments and bonuses. The factory must be opened with firmness and our dues must be paid immediately,” Daily Star quoted a protesting worker as saying.

Anger Due To Non-Payment Of Salary

Earlier this week, a large group of workers obstructed the Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways at the Bhogra bypass in Gazipur due to unpaid wages. This demonstration resulted in significant traffic congestion in the already busy area. The protesters claimed that over 300 workers had not received their salaries, and they accused the authorities of postponing payments without providing any legitimate explanation.

15 Factories Closed In A Week

Last week, workers of 15 garment factories in Gazipur’s Kaliakoir blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway. They protested over the closure of a factory and alleged assault on workers, local media reported. According to an International Labour Organisation (ILO) report released in November 2024, Bangladesh has the third-highest percentage of low-wage workers in South Asian countries, after Sri Lanka and Bhutan.

Yunus Government Ruined Bangladesh

Economists have been alarmed that the rising inequality has low-income and unskilled workers to cut back on their food consumption. Since the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus took office in August 2024, the nation has witnessed widespread protests and strikes by workers over unpaid wages and worsening working conditions. Numerous reports have documented that several factories have been closed as a result of ongoing worker protests, and there have been instances where workers have either lost their lives or sustained serious injuries during the demonstrations.