Garment workers protest closure, clog key city road

Dhaka, Jan 2 (bdprem.com) – More than 1,000 garment workers took their anger to the streets Wednesday in the city's Sheorapara to protest against what they said was the sudden closure of a factory without notice, police and witnesses said. The protesters blocked Rokeya Sarani that runs through Sheorapara for hours in the morning after authorities had shut down SQ Garments, said Kafrul police chief Akram Hossain. Your Ad Here BGMEA officials arrived at the scene and sat in a meeting with the factory owners at 10:30am. The demonstrators refused to clear the thoroughfare despite intervention by security officials but Akram said they were trying to talk to them into clearing the street. He said huge traffic snarl-up clogged the streets of the area because of the protest during the morning rush hours.