Workers again take position on highway in Gazipur, 10 platoons of BGB deployed
Photo: Agamir Somoy
Garment workers are agitating in Gazipur, demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000. For the third consecutive day, workers took position beside the Dhaka-Tangail Highway today, Monday.
Gazipur Deputy Commissioner Nurul Karim Bhuiyan told Agamir Somoy, "A total of 10 platoons of BGB have been deployed to prevent disorder."
He said BGB members, led by 21 executive magistrates, have taken a strong position to keep the law and order situation normal.
Kaliakair Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shahidul Islam said workers have been occupying the Dhaka-Tangail Highway since this morning. Due to their blockade, vehicular movement on the highway has been halted.
Most garment factories in Gazipur have been closed since this morning. Factory owners announced closure of over a hundred apparel factories in Gazipur following incidents of attacks, vandalism, and arson at various garment factories.
Meanwhile, to keep vehicular movement on the highway normal and prevent disorder, BNP leaders and activists have taken positions at important points from Bhogra Bypass to Naujor in the city corporation area.
Led by Mujibur Rahman, MP for Gazipur-1 constituency and mayor, party leaders and activists took position beside the highway.
In addition, under the leadership of Shawkat Hossain Sarkar, president of Gazipur City BNP and administrator of the city corporation, a large number of BNP and affiliated organization leaders and activists took positions in the Konabari and Kashimpur areas.
Five platoons of BGB were deployed Sunday to control the situation. Five more platoons of BGB have been deployed today (Sunday).
On Sunday morning, workers blocked the Dhaka-Tangail Highway and protested. This halted vehicular movement on the highway. Eventually, through the efforts of police and BGB, the situation became normal, including vehicular movement, around 2:30 pm after six and a half hours.
Meanwhile, amid the workers' movement, the government issued a notification on Sunday appointing new members to the minimum wage board. In it, alongside appointing representatives of owners and workers, separate representatives were nominated to determine minimum wages for the export-bound apparel workers.
Earlier, from Saturday noon through night, workers blocked the Dhaka-Tangail Highway and protested with the same demand. Later, when they left the road at night, vehicular movement became normal.
Workers demand that their minimum monthly wage be set at Tk 30,000 in keeping with the current market situation. For the past few weeks, workers have been protesting in various industrial areas including Konabari, Mouchak, and Safipur in Gazipur demanding a wage increase. Even though the government quickly formed a new wage board, their movement did not stop.
