Staff Correspondent, Narayanganj 

Unrest erupted at a garment factory in Fatullah, Narayanganj, on Monday  following the dismissal of several workers at a factory named Abir Fashion, which is focused on export production. The incident occurred in the morning at the factory located in the Kutubail area of Fatullah.

Angry workers at Abir Fashion began throwing bricks and stones, forcing the shutdown of at least eight surrounding factories. The industrial zone of Fatullah remained tense from morning until 4 PM. With no resolution reached, Abir Fashion’s management eventually declared the factory laid off for the time being.

Locals reported that around 8 AM, workers arrived at Abir Fashion and became agitated upon seeing the layoff notice posted at the gate. Nearly a thousand workers gathered and began throwing bricks at nearby factories including Micro Fiber Group, Metro Knitting, Cat Tex, Palmal Group, Time Sweater, Azad Fashion, and others, forcing them to halt operations out of fear.

Senior police officials rushed to the scene and managed to calm the situation, escorting the workers to the District Commissioner’s office. There, district officials held a lengthy meeting with both the factory owners and the worker representatives. However, when the workers’ demands were not met, they walked out of the discussion and vowed to continue their movement.

The workers demanded that layoffs be halted and submitted an 8-point charter of demands. They declared that either all workers must be allowed to work or none will work at all. The demands included withdrawal of unilateral decisions by management. As the owners did not agree to the demands, the workers left the meeting and reaffirmed their protest.

Sagar Mallik, Manager of Abir Fashion, stated “Our factory employs around 3,000 workers, of whom 2,400 are in the garments section. Out of them, we have identified 205 workers who are repeatedly involved in causing disorder on various pretexts. We believe a certain group is trying to destabilize the garment sector intentionally. In recent days, these workers have caused significant damage through vandalism.”

Officer-in-Charge of Fatullah Model Police Station, Shariful Islam, said:
“On Sunday evening, some workers carried out vandalism at Abir Fashion. The factory authorities have filed a formal complaint. The incident is under investigation, and appropriate action will be taken. The situation has remained calm since 4 PM today.”