Thousands of garment workers took to the streets for the third consecutive day Tuesday demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk8,000.
In several places in and outside the capital, agitated workers blockaded roads and highways, vandalised vehicles and factories and locked into clashes with law enforcers.
While in some places they peacefully moved away upon request from police, in most other places police had to charge batons, fire rubber bullets and teargas canisters to disperse the angry mob.
Workers of at least 15 factories in Khilkhet and Kuril areas in Dhaka, Ashulia of Savar and Fatulla of Narayanganj abstained from work and demonstrated on the roads.
Because of the demonstration of the workers, who blockaded roads in many of these places, vehicular movement remained suspended for several hours on the Airport Road, at Kuril, Pragati Sharani and Bhatara in the capital. Traffic also remained suspended for several hours on the Dhaka-Aricha and the Dhaka-Tangail highways, and long tailbacks were created in Ashulia and some other parts in Gazipur and Fatulla in Narayanganj. In some of these places, workers set barricades on the roads and torched tyres in other places.
Chowdhury Lutful Kabir, deputy commissioner of police of Gulshan Division, told the Dhaka Tribune that workers moved away from the Kuril area after law enforcers had told them that their demands would be discussed with the factory owners.
After being chased by law enforcers in a number of places including Pragati Sharani in Badda in the capital; Mulaid area of Chandra, Sreepur and Kaliakair upazila of Gazipur; and Shibu Market area in Fatulla of Narayanganj, workers hurled stones and bricks at vehicles and ransacked a number of factory buildings.
In Gazipur, at least 20 workers were injured in clashes with law enforcers on the Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail highways, and Chandra and Sreepur areas of Gazipur.
Police charged batons, hurled rubber bullets and tear gas canisters in these areas to disperse the mob, who retaliated with stones and bricks.
In Tangail, at least 35 people, including a journalist, were injured in similar clashes in the Hatubhanga area in Mirzapur upazila.
Mostafizur Rahman, superintendent of Industrial Police in Ashulia, said additional law enforcers have been deployed in the area to prevent any further worsening of law and order.
Labour leader MA Shahin from Narayanganj expressed hopes that the workers would agree to sit with the factory owners to settle their demands.
Industrial zones in Gazipur and Savar and some parts of the capital turned into battlefields Tuesday as well as workers hit the streets demanding payment of all due wages and allowances and a minimum wage of Tk8,000.
More than 140 people were injured in Tuesday’s clashes.