রবিবার, ০১ নভেম্বর ২০২৬, ০৭:০৮ অপরাহ্ন
Police fired tear gas and sound grenades as the garment workers clashed with the forces in Gazipur and Mirpur on Sunday demanding a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka, and blocked roads around the Mirpur-10 roundabout and several points of the Dhaka-Tangail Highway.
The clashes in Gazipur forced most factories in the affected areas to suspend operations as workers staged demonstrations and blockades in Palli Bidyut, Konabari, Bhogra and Naojor, disrupting traffic along the busy highway and causing severe suffering for commuters and drivers.
Protesters also set fire to tree logs and tyres on the road, while clashes and chases between the two sides continued at different points.
Amid the unrest, authorities announced the closure of most garment factories along the stretch from Chandra Palli Bidyut to Konabari to prevent further violence.
In Mirpur, workers set a police vehicle on fire during the clashes.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (AC) Mahfuzul Haque Bakshi of the Mirpur Traffic Division confirmed that two fire units had reached Mirpur-11 and were working to extinguish the blaze.
The situation turned violent around 11:45am when police moved to clear the roads in Mirpur-10. A chase and counter-chase followed as law enforcers fired several tear gas canisters and charged at protesters with batons. Both sides exchanged brick chips during the clashes.
Bakshi said several hundred garment workers had been staging demonstrations on roads in Mirpur-10, Mirpur-11, Mirpur-12 and nearby areas since 9:00am in the morning.
The protests on Sunday followed several days of demonstrations and work stoppages over the wage demand.
Govt forms wage board
Meanwhile, the government on Sunday formed a new wage board to determine the minimum wages of garment workers amid ongoing protests demanding a monthly minimum wage of 30,000 taka.
Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury announced the formation of the six-member board issuing two separate notifications appointing representatives of employers, workers and neutral parties to review the existing wage structure and recommend a new minimum wage.
The notifications instructed the chairman of the Minimum Wage Board to initiate the process of determining the minimum wage for garment workers in consultation with representatives of employers, workers and neutral members.
According to one notification, ABM Shamsuddin, a director of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), has been appointed as the employers’ representative, while Babul Akhter, general secretary of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation, will represent the workers.
The second notification named Dr Mosleh Uddin Ahmad, a professor in the Department of Public Administration at the University of Dhaka, as a neutral member. Asif Ayub, joint secretary-general of the Bangladesh Employers Federation, has been appointed as another employers’ representative, while Anwar Hossain, president of Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, will represent workers.
Three metro rail stations shut
Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) Director (Operations and Maintenance) Md Nazrul Islam said train services at Mirpur-10, Mirpur-11 and Pallabi stations had been suspended following clashes between garment workers and police around noon.
“Services are gradually returning to normal, and operations at Mirpur-10 station already resumed”, he said.
