SEVERAL hundred workers of Goldtex Group apparel factories in the Dhaka Export Processing Zone have taken to the streets. This suggests how recurrently the apparel sector plunges into crisis at the cost of its worker's livelihood. Aggrieved workers of the business group on November 10 blocked the Dhaka-Tangail Highway at Ashulia, demanding unpaid wages of three months and the reopening of the factories that were closed abruptly. The blockade, which began around 9:00am, brought traffic to a halt and drew the attention of the industrial police, who used teargas shells and water cannons when workers refused to go away. The workers said that the factory authorities had shut down their units on October 22 without notice, leaving wages pending for months and repeatedly failing to deliver on promised payment dates. Officials later confirmed that four factories of the group -- Goldtex Limited, Goldtex Garments, South China Bleaching and Dyeing Factory Limited and Actor Sporting Limited -- remain closed, collectively owing workers more than two months' wages in arrears. While authorities now speak of resuming operations or selling the factories to recover dues, the abrupt closures, delayed payments and police intervention have become a systemic cycle ion the industrial landscape.
The unrest at Goldtex reflects a deep, structural crisis within the apparel industry which extends far beyond the confines of a single factory or incident. The sector, which sustains millions of workers and contributes the lion's share of export earnings, continues to be haunted by fragile industrial relations, inadequate regulatory oversight and exploitative employment practices. When factories shut down without notice and wages remain unpaid for months, it is not merely an administrative failure; it is a symptom of a system that prioritises profits and export targets over human security. Workers, already surviving on meagre incomes, are rendered defenceless when employers evade accountability and when labour law enforcement remains weak. The immediate consequence is visible in road blockades and confrontations with the police. Still, the long-term impact is far more insidious: a steady erosion of trust between labour and management and the perpetuation of poverty cycles among the people who produce wealth. Addressing this recurring crisis requires more than temporary interventions or factory-by-factory resolutions. It demands institutional reforms to ensure wage protection, the creation of a transparent insolvency mechanism, strict enforcement of labour rights and meaningful worker representation in decision-making processes without which the industry's growth will remain standing on unstable foundations.
The incident at hand should, therefore, serve as a wake-up call for both industry leaders and the government. Sustainable industrial growth cannot coexist with recurring wage crises and disregard for worker rights. Ensuring fair compensation, social protection and accountability in factory management is essential for the stability and credibility of the apparel sector.