Four individuals have been arrested and placed on a one-day remand following a fire incident at the Grameen Fabrics and Fashion Ltd factory in Kashimpur, Gazipur, on Wednesday evening. Reyaz Uddin, deputy commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police, confirmed the arrests, stating that the suspects were apprehended during a raid based on specific information and evidence. Among those arrested is a labor leader, while the others are factory workers. Authorities are actively pursuing additional suspects involved in the incident.
The arrested individuals were presented before the Gazipur Metropolitan Magistrate Court, which granted the police a one-day remand for further investigation.
Earlier that day, GM Tariqul Islam, the manager (admin) of Grameen Fabrics and Fashion Ltd, filed a case naming 400 to 500 unidentified workers from Beximco Industrial Park Ltd as suspects in the fire. In his statement, Islam noted that workers had been protesting since the closure of factories at Beximco Industrial Park in December 2024, demanding the reopening of their facilities, payment of overdue wages, and the resumption of banking services.
The protests escalated into a road blockade on 21st December, which was dispersed by law enforcement using tear gas and rubber bullets. Subsequent demonstrations included a human chain stretching 11 kilometers on 14th January, followed by a mass rally on 21th January.
According to the case statement, on Wednesday afternoon, workers blocked the Chandra-Nabinagar highway. Later, around 4:30 PM, a large group of 400-500 unidentified individuals, armed with sticks, torches, iron rods, and knives, unlawfully gathered at the main gate of Grameen Fabrics and Fashion’s factory. They vandalised the gate, forcibly entered the premises, and attacked security personnel, causing injuries. As chaos ensued, the miscreants damaged various installations and set fire to the machinery and fabric warehouse on the ground floor.
The fire resulted in substantial damage, with losses estimated at Tk 18 crore, destroying fabric, machinery, electrical equipment, and firefighting materials. Fire service personnel were called in to extinguish the blaze.
Superintendent of Police AKM Zahirul Islam, of Gazipur Industrial Police-2, confirmed the incident, stating that the protesting workers from Beximco Industrial Park broke into the Grameen Fabrics and Fashions factory and set it ablaze. As a result of the fire, factory operations were halted, and no activities took place the following day.
