Dhaka, Nov. 1 -- Labour unrest over minimum wages and other demands has forced around 300 garment factories in Savar, Ashulia and Gazipur to declare holidays, disrupting production across the industrial belt.

In Savar and Ashulia, 177 factories have closed amid the protests, according to Industrial Police Superintendent Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan.

More than 100 factories in Gazipur have also suspended operations, Superintendent Amzad Hossain said.

The unrest has spilled onto major roads, with workers blocking the Dhaka-Aricha Highway at Hemayetpur, disrupting traffic.

Violence was also reported near Palli Bidyut in Kaliakair's Chandra, where a factory warehouse and a law enforcement vehicle were set on fire.

In Mirpur, workers de...