Several hundred demonstrating garment workers yesterday suspended vehicular movement for four hours on Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway in Tongi, Gazipur.

Meanwhile, in another incident in Ashulia cadres allegedly of the ruling party attacked garment factory Crystal Composite Ltd and vandalised its machinery, windowpanes and injured at least 30 people, including the factory owners. The factory was allegedly attacked over a feud regarding the business of garment waste. Three people were arrested.

In Tongi, hundreds of vehicles plying 35 routs to and from Dhaka remained stranded due to the agitation of the garment workers causing untold sufferings to thousands of people.

Workers of Six H at Sena Kalyan Commercial Complex in Tongi started the agitation around 9:00am demanding their arrear salaries and overtime allowances. The factory closed on January 14 following a dispute over the ownership of the factory.

A few hundred vehicles switched to the alternative Ashulia Bypass Road but many others remained stuck between Tongi and Khilkhet in Dhaka and Tongi and Boardbazar in Gazipur.

Police and Rab personnel were there but they restrained themselves from taking action fearing that it would trigger widespread agitation involving workers of neighbouring factories.

The demonstrators refused ending it without the assurances of getting due payments and resumption of the factory operations.

They brought out indiscriminate processions that paraded the area inviting workers of neighbouring factories to join in.

Gazipur police and administrations contacted Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) leaders and the factory authorities. The workers removed the barricade around 1:00pm following negotiations conducted by BGMEA leaders and factory authorities.

Vehicular movement was normal about an hour later.

Gazipur Superintendent of Police Nuruzzaman told The Daily Star, "The workers were not paid their salaries and overtime allowances in three months.

"The main problem is, no one is claiming ownership of the factory. Police did not go for action apprehending mass unrest among the garment workers of the area."

The SP said they were trying to resolve the issue with the help of BGMEA leaders and government high-ups.

Talking to The Daily Star, BGMEA President Abdus Salam Murshedy said they called for a meeting to resolve the matter. He said the workers would be paid their dues before February 21 and the dispute over the ownership might be solved legally.

Sources said BGMEA Vice-President Faruque Hassan sold the factory to Hasan Saiyeed and Nawshad Hasan, two brothers, in 2007. But after the sale, the two brothers alleged that Faruque Hassan did not follow some conditions of the sale. The brothers declined to takeover the factory.

Faruque Hassan told The Daily Star that he had handed over the ownership of the factory to the new owners on December 2, 2007. "I am not involved in the management of the unit after the sale of my share."

He claimed that he has not been paid in full for the sale as the new owners have already caused a lot of liabilities for the factory.

In Ashulia, at least 30 armed-cadres on five microbuses stormed the Crystal Composite Ltd around 2:00pm and started firing in the air. They vandalised the factory and injured factory owners Firoz Hossain, his brother Selim Hossain and their employees who tried to resist them.

Sources claimed that local ruling-party men had been demanding the garment waste of the factory since the factory was launched. They launched the attack yesterday, as their demand was not met.

Witnesses said the attackers rampaged all five floors of the factory and assaulted the owners.

The workers of the factory tried to resist the attacks and caught Akhter, Saidur Rahman and Nurul Amin. They were handed over to the police.

The factory authorities filed a case with Ashulia Police Station saying that the attackers looted Tk 25 lakh, fired gunshots, vandalised the factory and caused injuries to workers.