NASSA Mainland Garments would resume operations from April 8, with workers’ wages for March scheduled to be paid on April 12, following a high-level government meeting convened to address recent labour unrest.

The decision was taken at an emergency meeting held on April 6 at the Bangladesh Secretariat and chaired by Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury, according to meeting sources.

The factory had remained closed since the last Eid holiday due to financial constraints.

The development followed protests on April 6, when approximately 700 workers blocked the Tejgaon Link Road in the Mohakhali and Nabisco areas, demanding the reopening of the factory and payment of outstanding wages.

The demonstration prompted swift government intervention.

Workers withdrew the blockade after receiving assurances from the minister that their demands would be discussed at an emergency meeting the following day.

At the meeting, factory representatives confirmed that March wages would be disbursed on April 12.

While presiding over the session, labour minister emphasised that maintaining factory operations remains a government priority in order to safeguard employment.

He pledged full support from the ministry in accordance with the law and urged workers to cooperate with management by working an additional hour daily to sustain production.

The minister also instructed factory authorities not to harass employees under any circumstances.

Adviser to the Prime Minister Mahdi Amin said that no operational factory governed by a board of directors should be shut down in the absence of legal or procedural complications, and called for timely measures to ensure workers’ welfare.

Earlier, worker representatives appealed for government intervention to keep the factory operational and committed to maintaining high levels of production.

Highlighting ongoing financial and banking challenges, NASSA Group Vice-Chairman Ranjan Chowdhury sought assistance from the ministry in resolving the company’s difficulties.

Among those present at the meeting were State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Md Nurul Haque, Labour Secretary Md Abdur Rahman Tarafder, and Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association Vice-President Rezwan Selim, among others.