The decision followed a meeting yesterday of past presidents and the present board of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and prominent industrialists with representatives from Bangladesh Army, police, Industrial Police, National Security Intelligence and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence to discuss the situation.

Protesters not engaged in any RMG factory will be treated as mere criminals and treated accordingly.

Genuine workers are not among the protesters, and the unrest has been fuelled by outsiders and vested interest groups, domestic media outlets reported citing RMG industry representatives and government officials.

Around 170 factories closed due to unrest in the industrial zones yesterday.

BGMEA requested the country’s chief advisor's intervention to safeguard the industry and the economy.

Meanwhile, the country’s labour and employment adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan said the government will take immediate action to address the growing labour unrest.

He said the usual participants in labour movements are noticeably absent, while an increasing number of outsiders have been observed.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)