Two buses have been torched and several vehicles vandalised in Gazipur during heated protests by garment factory workers demanding an increase in their salary.

Workers from the Konabari and Kashimpur areas staged protests and blockades on the Dhaka-Tangail highway to press home their demand on Tuesday.

Clashes erupted between the workers and law enforcement, according to KM Ashraf Uddin, chief of Konabari Police Station.

As tensions escalated, the police employed teargas to disperse the demonstrators, who retaliated by hurling brickbats and stones.

The workers subsequently shifted their attention to two passenger buses on the Dhaka-Tangail highway, setting them on fire and vandalising several other vehicles. The incident caused significant traffic disruptions along the highway.

Abdullah Al Arefin, deputy assistant director of Gazipur Fire Service, said firefighters from Kashimpur managed to control the fire within half an hour.

While the buses suffered extensive damage, no casualties were reported.

OC Ashraf said that additional police, Border Guard Bangladesh, and Rapid Action Battalion personnel arrived and restored order around 11:30 am, allowing traffic on the road to return to normal.

In the wake of the incident, locals say that an eerie calm has settled over the Konabari, Kashimpur, and Palli Bidyut areas.