Employees of Fu-Wang Foods Limited, a food manufacturing company, staged a protest by obstructing the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway for one and a half hours, demanding the payment of three months’ overdue salaries and bonuses. Approximately 450 workers are employed at the factory, which operates in three shifts and is situated in the Hotapara area of Gazipur.
The demonstration took place on Tuesday, March 18, from 9:00 AM to 10:45 AM, as the workers gathered on the highway in the Hotapara region. This information was verified by Inspector Abdul Latif of the Gazipur Industrial Police.
During the protest, vehicles of all kinds were halted on both sides of the highway, resulting in a significant traffic jam. This situation imposed considerable difficulties on drivers, passengers, and local residents. Upon learning of the incident, personnel from the Joydebpur Police Station, Industrial Police, and Army arrived at the scene to engage in discussions with factory management. After the workers committed to addressing their demands, they vacated the highway and relocated inside the factory. Subsequently, at 10:50 am, normal traffic flow was restored.
The protesting workers expressed that each year, around Eid, the factory owner and management instigate such protests regarding their salary bonuses. They highlighted that salaries for January, February, and March remain unpaid, and the anticipated Eid bonus has not been disbursed. Despite repeated assurances from the management regarding the settlement of all dues, including the outstanding salaries and Eid bonus, the protest continues. They have retreated from the highway based on the assurances provided by the police, industrial police, and army, who promised that all dues, including the bonus, would be settled by this afternoon. Currently, the workers are conducting a peaceful sit-in within the factory premises, stating they will not leave until their outstanding payments, including the bonus, are received.
In the meantime, Inspector Abdul Latif of the Gazipur Industrial Police reported that two months’ worth of salaries and the Eid bonus, including for March, are still pending. Following the notification of the road incident, the police, industrial police, and army convened with factory authorities to assure the workers that their demands would be addressed. The workers then moved off the highway and took their positions inside the factory. Joint force members are currently in discussions with higher management to ensure that all outstanding payments, including the workers’ bonuses, are processed by today.
Mukit Hossain, an officer from the Human Resources and Administration Department of
