Traffic resumed on the Dhaka-Tangail Highway in Gazipur on Monday afternoon after nearly six hours of blockade by garment workers demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk30,000.
The protests continued despite the formation of a wage board, forcing more than 150 factories in the industrial areas to declare holidays.
Workers from the affected factories took to different points of the highways from around 8am and staged demonstrations and blockades.
On Monday morning, workers blocked the Dhaka-Tangail Highway at Safipur, Palli Bidyut and Chandra areas. Around 11am, police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members moved to disperse the protesters.
During the operation, a BGB member was injured after being hit by a brick thrown by protesters.
Around noon, demonstrators vandalised and set fire to several police vehicles in the Naojor area of Gazipur city. They also attacked a Somoy TV reporter and camera operator and damaged their camera.
Several other journalists had reportedly been assaulted, beaten and had their mobile phones snatched during earlier incidents of unrest.
Later, members of the industrial police, Gazipur district police and BGB fired tear gas shells and sound grenades to bring the situation under control.
Workers eventually moved off the highway after 1pm, allowing traffic to resume.
Gazipur Industrial Police Superintendent Amzad Hossain said more than 150 factories had declared holidays due to the ongoing labour unrest.
He said the BGB, district police, metropolitan police and industrial police were working together to maintain law and order.
Officer-in-Charge of Kaliakair Police Station Shahidul Islam said workers had already returned home, adding that some people were attempting to destabilise the country.
He said traffic resumed on the highway through coordinated efforts by law enforcement agencies.
