Daylong protests, clashes and attempt to besiege Police Station

The apparel workers of the city continued their movement for the fourth consecutive day, demanding a minimum wage of Tk 30,000, among other things.

On Tuesday, protests, road blockades, and clashes with police occurred in various industrial areas, including Mirpur, Gazipur, Narayanganj, and Savar-Ashulia, off the capital. In Gazipur, agitators attempted to besiege a police station. In some places, protesters set fire on the roads, halting vehicle movement. Police used tear gas canisters and sound grenades to control the situation. Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed to ensure security in the industrial areas.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) reported that production was halted in 306 garment factories in these industrial areas due to the daylong protests.

Clashes and Attempt to Besiege Police Station in Gazipur; At Least 30 Injured

In the morning, chase and counter-chase and clashes occurred between workers and police in the Naujor and Bhogra areas of Gazipur. Around 9:30 am, workers of Diganta Sweaters and Panisia Limited took position on the Dhaka-Tangail highway in the Naujor area of the city. At one point, they threw waste on the road and set it on fire. This halted vehicle movement from Joydebpur intersection to Naujor intersection.

At the same time, workers from various factories stopped work and came onto the streets. Subsequently, the members of law enforcement agencies became active to control the situation. Later, chase and counter-chase and clashes occurred between workers and police in the Bhogra and Naujor areas.

Our Gazipur correspondent reported that at least 30 people, including police and workers, were injured in the clashes that continued from morning to noon. Due to labour unrest, holidays were declared in at least 60 factories in the district on Tuesday. The Superintendent of Police of Gazipur Industrial Police, Mohammad Amjad Hossain, said, seven people, who are not workers, were arrested on charges of sabotage.

Meanwhile, due to the workers' blockade, vehicle movement on the Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways was disrupted. Traffic on both highways became normal around 1:15 pm after nearly four hours.

Amjad Hossain said workers of several factories went to join work in the morning but later came out without working. Due to this, general holidays were declared in those factories.

Local police station sources said three cases were filed at Konabari, Bashan, and Kaliakair police stations regarding the workers' movement. Several thousand workers were made accused in these cases.

Meanwhile, in the afternoon, protesting garment workers attempted to besiege the Kashimpur Police Station of Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP). However, police said some miscreants joined the workers. At that time, chase and counter-chase and clashes occurred between them and the police.Police and locals said workers of a DBL Group factory were protesting in the Kashimpur area of Gazipur city. At that time, police members, including Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kashimpur Police Station Molla Mohammad Khalid Hossain, visited to the spot to calm the situation by persuading the workers. Then the workers chanted 'fake fake' slogans targeting the police and chased them.Seeing the situation turning dire, the police members rushed back to the station. Later, the workers gathered around the station and started throwing bricks and stones. At one point, they attempted to besiege the station. To bring the situation under control, police fired tear gas shells and sound grenades to disperse them.After this incident, tension spread in the police station and surrounding areas. However, later multiple police teams joined together to bring the situation under control; the protesters also left the scene.Tension also began in the Ashulia industrial area of Savar. Chase and counter-chase and brick-throwing incidents occurred between workers and police in Nishchintapur, Narsinghpur, and surrounding areas on the Abdullahpur-Bypail road.The Savar correspondent of Agamir Somoy reported that around 10:30 am, workers took position in an alley in the Nishchintapur area and threw bricks at the police. Police fired tear gas to control the situation. Considering the situation, holidays were declared in at least 40 factories at that time.Meanwhile, in the afternoon, workers gathered at Padma Morh on the Hemayetpur-Singair road. Later, they blockaded the Hemayetpur section of the Dhaka-Aricha highway. Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Savar Highway Police Station Md. Asaduzzaman Nur said that upon receiving the news, police went to the spot and tried to persuade the workers to leave the road so that traffic movement could be normalized. Vehicle movement started after the workers left the road around 5:45 pm.The Narayanganj correspondent of Agamir Somoy reported that garment workers of Fatullah agitated by blockading the Dhaka-Narayanganj Link Road for the second day demanding a wage increase. On Tuesday afternoon, chase and counter-chase and clashes occurred between workers and police in the Shibu Market, Fatullah Stadium, and Jalkuri areas injuring several people.After 4:30 pm, chase and counter-chase occurred between the two sides in the Shibu Market, Fatullah Stadium, and Jalkuri areas. At that time, workers collected jhut (garment waste) lying beside the road and set those on fire. Police baton-charged and fired several rounds of tear gas shells to control the situation.Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime and Operations) of Narayanganj District Police Tarek Al Mehedi said that when workers blockaded the road and disrupted vehicle movement, police tried to remove them. At that time, the protesters threw bricks and set fires, heating up the situation. Police took necessary measures.When workers were removed from the Shibu Market area around 5:30 pm, vehicle movement began on the Link Road. Police and BGB members were deployed in the area to control the situation.Clashes between workers and police also occurred in Mirpur of the capital on Tuesday. Around 10 am, garment workers gathered under the Mirpur-11 Metro Rail Station.When police tried to disperse them, clashes erupted. The protesters threw brick pelts at the police. In response, police fired tear gas canisters and sound grenades. Clashes and chase and counter-chase continued for about an hour. Later, the protesters moved away to the surrounding alleys.Due to the clashes, vehicle movement on the Pallabi-Mirpur-10 road was halted. Vehicle movement started around 11:30 am when the situation became normal. Police said at least four people were detained in this incident.During the clash in Mirpur, several people severely beat up a police member on Kalshi Road. News and video of this incident quickly spread through various media. Deputy Commissioner of DMP's South Division Mohammad Towhidul Arif said they have watched the video and that necessary actions will be taken to this end.

Production Halted in 306 Factories, 12 Platoons of BGB Deployed

The impact of worker unrest has naturally affected the country's garment industry production as well. According to preliminary data from BGMEA, holidays were declared in 306 factories in Mirpur, Gazipur, Mymensingh, Ashulia, and Jirani areas until 11 am yesterday.

BGB's public relations officer Md. Shariful Islam said 12 platoons of BGB have been deployed in industrial areas including Gazipur and Narayanganj to control the situation.

BNP, Jubo Dal, and Chhatra Dal on the Ground to Thwart Sabotage

Centering on the workers' movement, leaders and activists of BNP, Jubo Dal, and Chhatra Dal took cautious positions in various industrial areas of the capital's Mirpur, Gazipur, Savar-Ashulia, and Narayanganj. Since Monday morning, they were seen positioned on important roads, factory entrances, beside highways, and at various intersections in these areas. In Mirpur, Jubo Dal and Chhatra Dal leaders and activists held processions with sticks and batons in hand.

In Gazipur, BNP leaders and activists took positions in Bhogra Bypass, Chandana Chowrasta, Konabari, and Board Bazar areas. Gazipur BNP President and Administrator of Gazipur City Corporation, Shawkat Hossain, took position with party leaders and activists in the Bhogra Bypass and Chandana Chowrasta areas.

Similarly, in Ashulia, BNP leaders and activists took guard and cautious positions in front of various factories beside the Nabinagar-Chandra highway, and in Narayanganj at important points including Panchabati, Chashara, Shibu Market, Jalkuri, Bhuigarh, and Signboard. They claimed that a quarter is trying to sabotage and create violence by capitalizing on the workers' legitimate movement. The leaders said they are on the ground to protect industries, factories, workers, and public safety, as well as to prevent vandalism and anarchy in the name of the movement.

Workers' Demand: Tk 30,000

Currently, the minimum monthly wage of a garment worker is Tk 12,500. Workers are demanding minimum wage to be at Tk 30,000. Their argument is that with rising costs of house rent, food, transportation, medical care, and other daily necessities, it has become difficult to run a family on the current wage.

The issue of rising living costs behind the workers' discontent has also been highlighted in a report by international news agency Reuters. The report stated that workers' purchasing power has decreased due to inflation and rising prices of daily goods.

35 Workers' Organizations Welcome Wage Board

At noon 'Sramik Mukti Sangram Parishad,' comprising 35 workers' organizations, held a press conference at Gazipur Press Club. The organization's president, Tamiz Uddin Tamu, called upon workers to return to work, saying it is important to keep factory production running to protect the country's economy and workers' livelihoods. Welcoming the government's formation of the Wage Board, the organization's leaders demanded a fair wage through discussion. At the same time, they called for an end to cases, arrests, and repression against workers.