Workers again attempted to block the Dhaka-Tangail highway in the Mouchak area of Kaliakair, Gazipur, on Tuesday, demanding a wage hike. Law enforcement personnel intervened and dispersed the crowd.

Contacted, Gazipur Industrial Police Superintendent Mohammad Amzad Hossain said no reports of worker unrest had been received from anywhere in Gazipur since Tuesday morning, while law enforcement personnel remained on alert at various points along the highway.

He said a group of workers attempted to block the Dhaka-Tangail highway in the Mouchak area shortly before 8am on Tuesday. Law enforcement personnel immediately persuaded them to leave the highway without any confrontation.

Superintendent Amzad said authorities of 10 to 12 more factories have declared holidays, while some previously closed factories have reopened today.

Asked how many of the factories that had previously declared holidays have reopened today, Gazipur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Nurul Karim Bhuiyan could not confirm the exact number.

Garment workers have been protesting for several days, demanding a substantial increase in the minimum wage.

The government formed a six-member wage board on Sunday to review the existing wage structure and recommend a new minimum.

Earlier, hundreds of thousands of garment workers took to the streets, triggering clashes with police in Gazipur and Mirpur in the capital.

As of Monday, police arrested 57 people in connection with garment workers’ protests.