At least 79 factories in Ashulia, stretching from Baipail to Zirabo, remained closed today (9 September) due to the continuing workers’ protests. Md Sarwar Alam, Superintendent of Industrial Police-1, confirmed the closures to The Business Standard.

While some factories in other parts of Ashulia operated until 11 am, law enforcement agencies, including the industrial police, army, RAB, and BGB, maintained a heavy presence to ensure security in the area.

According to sources from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), factories from 68 different companies, including major groups like Ananta, Sharmin, Hamim, and Sterling, remained closed under a “leave with pay” policy. Workers from 13 other factories, which stayed open, left without working today.

In addition, at least eight factories witnessed worker unrest within their premises. The affected factories include Mandal Knitwear, Natural Denim, Knit Composite, Radiance Jeans, Radiance Fashion, Garments Export Village, Bravo Apparels Limited, and Prince Jacquard Sweater Limited.

Workers reported that many factory owners had declared a general holiday for today, posting closure notices the night before. Others put up notices in the morning. Workers who arrived at the factories saw the notices and returned home.

Khairul Mamun Mintu, Legal Secretary of the Bangladesh Garments and Sweater Workers Trade Union Centre (GWTUC), confirmed that most factories in the region, including major facilities like Hamim and Sharmin, are closed. He added that workers had attempted to block roads in the Shimultala area this morning, but joint forces successfully convinced them to leave without any violence.

Industry sources also noted that several factories, including Hamim, Sharmin, and Deco, had already announced closures. This follows the suspension of operations in at least 30 readymade garment factories in Ashulia yesterday as the protests continued. On Saturday (7 September), 17 more RMG factories in the area had declared holidays.

The protests, which began on 29 August, have seen RMG workers pushing for several demands, including the recruitment of an equal number of men and women, higher salaries and benefits, and lighter workloads.

Today, Dhaka firmly reiterated that it cannot accommodate any additional Rohingya refugees, urging nations and organizations advocating for further intake to take responsibility themselves.

“We have clearly informed the UNHCR that we cannot accept more Rohingyas,” Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain stated during a press briefing at the foreign ministry.

Hossain emphasized that Bangladesh has already extended significant humanitarian support, currently hosting 1.2 million Rohingyas. He noted that the UN Refugee Agency had requested Bangladesh to shelter new arrivals, but the government firmly declined.

“Those offering advice or encouraging further intake should take the Rohingyas themselves,” Hossain remarked.

He added that the government is actively working to prevent additional entries, although fully sealing the border with Myanmar poses ongoing challenges. On September 3, Hossain mentioned that around 8,000 Rohingya had recently crossed into Bangladesh, fleeing escalating violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state.

Since August 25, 2017, Bangladesh has sheltered over one million forcibly displaced Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar, most arriving after Myanmar’s military crackdown, which the UN described as a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing,” while other rights groups labeled it “genocide.”

Despite Myanmar’s agreement to repatriate the refugees, no Rohingya has returned in the past seven years due to concerns over their safety in Rakhine state, with two repatriation efforts failing.

This morning, Dhaka’s major roads were plagued by severe traffic congestion, leaving commuters struggling to reach their destinations, particularly during office hours.

Key areas, including Bijoy Sarani, Farmgate, Jahangir Gate, Karwan Bazar, Shahbagh, Banglamotor, and the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway, witnessed heavy traffic build-ups. Similarly, various sections of Mirpur Road experienced prolonged gridlock.

The exit ramp of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway near the FDC remained jammed around 10 am, while the entrances and exits of Hatirjheel, located behind Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon, faced similar traffic bottlenecks.

“I left Banani DOHS at 9:20 am for the office. The Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway was completely gridlocked,” said Tasrin Tanjim, a private sector employee, while speaking to The Business Standard.

“Entering the Elevated Expressway from Banani provided brief relief, but I was stuck again at the FDC exit ramp for about 20 minutes,” she added.

Md Asif Iqbal, another commuter, shared a similar experience, reporting that he spent 20 minutes at the same exit ramp, with vehicles backed up along the elevated expressway.