Earthquake-Related Cracks Create Panic at N’ganj Garment Factory, Holiday Declared

Staff Correspondent :
Panic spread among workers at a garment factory in Rupganj, Narayanganj after cracks
reportedly appeared in the building following an earthquake. Workers stopped working and
gathered on the ground floor. Later, responding to their demands, the factory authorities
announced a three-day holiday starting Sunday (23 November) at the A-One Polar Garments located in the Bhulta area of the upazila. Workers insisted that the entire building must be inspected by an experienced engineer and that a detailed safety report should be shown to them. The authorities accepted their demands, stating that only officials would remain inside the factory and that engineers would soon conduct a full inspection of the building. Following the earthquake on 21 November, some cracks became visible in the structure, which caused confusion and concern among the workers on Sunday morning. As fear spread, workers halted work, gathered downstairs, and demanded leave along with assurances about building safety. Once the authorities agreed to their demands, the workers peacefully left the factory premises. Reports indicate that the situation inside and around the factory has since returned to normal. Inspector (Intelligence) Selim Badsha of Narayanganj Industrial Police said that the A-One Polar factory consists of several buildings. Cracks were found in some of them, and these will be examined by engineers. That is why the factory announced a three-day holiday.