A total of 344 readymade garment factories have yet to pay bonuses ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the largest religious festivals for Muslims, set to be celebrated next week, according to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA). 

Factories were instructed to clear bonuses by the 20th of Ramadan and pay half of March’s salary before the Eid vacation.

RMG workers in Dhaka and Chattogram have protested over unpaid wages and benefits. At one factory, workers attacked officials at another facility over demands for a 10-day holiday in line with government officials’ Eid vacation. 

BGMEA data shows that 83.67% of RMG factories – 1,543 in Dhaka and 220 in Chattogram – had cleared bonuses by 24 March, while 98.53% of operational factories had cleared February wages. 

However, 84 factories have only paid part or no wages for March, with most stakeholders expecting these payments to be settled by the end of the week or before the Eid holidays.

According to a BGMEA official, 36 factories are at high risk of failing to meet wage, bonus, and allowance payments due to financial crises. Initially, intelligence agencies had estimated that up to 500 factories could face challenges during Eid. 

Mohammad Hatem, president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), said factory owners are working to pay workers in line with government directives. 

While some are facing difficulties due to financial issues, he remains hopeful that all payments will be made before Eid, allowing workers to celebrate with their families.

Protests over unpaid dues  

Several incidents of unrest occurred across industrial hubs. Workers at JMS Garments in the Chattogram Export Processing Zone blocked Airport Road, demanding unpaid wages and Eid bonuses. 

At Roar Fashion in Bhaluka, Mymensingh, about 1,200 workers protested at the BGMEA Bhaban in Uttara, demanding three months’ wages and service benefits. 

Around 250 workers initiated the blockade. Additionally, workers from TNZ Apparels in Gazipur blocked roads in Paltan, demanding unpaid wages and bonuses ahead of Eid.

Protests for extended Eid holidays  

Workers from Sterling Designs, a Standard Group factory in Kaliakair, blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway, demanding an extension of their Eid holiday. 

In Narayanganj, workers from Fame Design attacked officials at Fame Apparel, demanding a 10-day holiday, similar to that of government officials. 

BKMEA President Hatem reported that at least four officers were assaulted, with two needing hospitalisations. When production continued, workers turned violent and blocked the Ponchoboti intersection. The army intervened, arresting seven workers involved in the attack. 

Fame Design Managing Director Masud Alam Kajol explained that the workers’ demands for a 10-day holiday were not applicable, and protests and disruptions had been ongoing for days.

Workers from two readymade garments (RMG) factories in Gazipur’s Tongi and Kaliakair have blocked highways to demonstrate over factory shutdown, unpaid wages, and payment of Eid bonuses and overtime allowances.

The protests snapped vehicular movement on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway and a regional highway for one and a half hours.

Later, law enforcers went to the spots and brought the situation back to normal.

According to police, workers from BSIS Apparels Limited at Hossain market area in Tongi demonstrated by blocking the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway from 7am this morning (23 March), protesting the shutdown of their factory following unrest for several days.

The protest caused severe gridlock on the highway, creating havoc for the commuters. Later, army members went to the spot around 8:45am and persuaded the workers to leave the street by assuring them of payment of their dues.

The workers later took positions in front of their factory, said the police.

According to factory sources, the workers at BSIS asked the authorities to set a date for the payment of their wages for February, Eid bonuses and overtime allowances on 10 March.

Although the factory authorities set 23 March as the payment date, the workers were not satisfied with the decision, which led to their work abstention on 10 March, sources added.

When the workers went to the factory on the morning of 11 March, they found a factory closure notice hanging at the main gate, which resulted in their protest. They withdrew their protest, being assured by police and army members about payment of their dues, and accepted today as the payment date.

At that time, the workers had said they will not join work unless their dues were paid by the factory authorities.

Rehana, a protesting worker, said, “We have not been paid our salaries for February. Besides, the factory authorities were supposed to pay us our Eid bonuses and overtime allowances today. We found a closure notice when we went to the factory in the morning, so we took to the street. Later, we left the street being assured by army and police members.”

Iqbal Hossain, owner of the factory, couldn’t be reached for comments.

Meanwhile, workers at Daeyu Bangladesh Limited in Kaliakair have been staging a protest since yesterday (22 March), demanding leave allowances, Eid bonuses, and tiffin allowances.

The violence occurred when some staff and outsiders chased the workers of the factory away around 9am, resulting in a fistfight between the workers and the outsiders.

The incident left three to four workers injured, who were taken to the nearby hospital for treatment. The agitated workers then vandalised the factory premises, said factory sources.

Some other factories declared today a holiday when 400-500 workers from Daeyu Bangladesh Limited went to the factory gates and asked the other workers to join their protest.

The agitated workers vandalised the premises of Lyric Industries Limited when the factory authorities delayed declaring a holiday. A female worker sustained a head injury after a brick thrown by the agitated workers hit her, sources added.

Superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police-2 AKM Jahirul Islam said, “The workers of the Tongi factory have been moved away from the street after assuring them of paying their dues. Vehicular movement on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway is currently normal.”

“Additional police members have been deployed in front of Daiyu factory in Kaliakair. The situation is currently normal, and efforts are being made to solve the issue by discussing it with the factory authorities,” the SP added.