Factory warehouse set on fire in Kaliakoir amid wage protests, fire service stuck in blockade
Photo: Collected
Miscreants set fire to a factory warehouse in Kaliakoir, Gazipur, amid protests and a highway blockade by garment workers. The workers are demonstrating to demand that the minimum wage be raised to Tk 30,000. Protesters also stopped fire service vehicles on their way to put out the fire, hampering efforts to bring it under control.
Kaliakoir Fire Station officer Md Tarikul Islam said the incidents took place around 12 noon on Sunday in the Chandra Palli Bidyut area of the upazila.
According to local sources, a warehouse named Tropical Knitex Limited was set on fire while the protest was going on. Black smoke quickly spread in all directions, covering the surrounding area. Because of the blockade, the fire service could not start firefighting even after reaching the scene. Locals fear that if the fire is not brought under control quickly, it could spread to the main factory.
Fire station officer Md Tarikul Islam said they set out after receiving news of the fire at the Tropical Knitex Limited factory godown. But after reaching Chandra they could not move forward because of the workers’ blockade. Nor were they getting any cooperation from anyone in this regard.
For several days, worker unrest and protests demanding higher pay have been going on in various industrial areas of Gazipur, including Konabari, Mouchak and Shafipur. From Saturday afternoon until night, workers protested by blocking the highway at different places. Continuing from that, the movement resumed on Sunday morning. Most of the factories in the surrounding area have been declared closed for fear of the situation deteriorating.
Meanwhile, the government has announced a six-member wage board to set the minimum wage for garment workers. BGB has been deployed on the highway to maintain law and order. Information source: bdnews24
Background
According to a Bangla Tribune report on 19 September, the latest minimum wage for garment workers, Tk 12,500, was set in November 2023. The paper also reported that the labour law had been amended to cut the time frame for revising wages from five years to three.
A Risingbd.com report of 2 October said garment workers had rallied in front of the National Press Club that day with eight demands, including setting the minimum wage at Tk 30,000 and forming a new wage board immediately.
Sources
Original report: Bangladesh Pratidin
Background sources: Bangla Tribune, 19 September 2026; Risingbd.com, 2 October 2026
