Ready-made garment (RMG) workers continued demonstrations and blockaded roads in Mirpur, Ashulia, and Gazipur for the sixth day on Saturday, protesting discrepancies in the new wage structure.
While the protests in Dhaka were comparatively peaceful, violent confrontations in Ashulia and Gazipur left more than 20 people injured, as well as several garments factories and vehicles vandalised.
Gazipur Industrial Police Additional Superintendent of Police (Additional SP) Shaheb Ali said at least 50 RMG factories had to suspend operations for the day due to the unrest. A notification from the factory authorities said they would be closed until further notice.
Despite government assurances of meeting the workers’ demands on the pay structure, RMG workers have been continuing protests across the country.
DMP Commissioner Md Asaduzzaman Mia on Saturday said that police would take stern action if any third party tries to influence the workers or take advantage of their protests.
Meanwhile, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested five people in Tongi on early Saturday, over their alleged involvement the vandalism of 9 garments factory in the area.
2 factories vandalised in Mirpur
Around 3,000-4,000 RMG workers began protests and blockaded roads in different parts of Mirpur, Dhaka around 11am.
The protests took place in Mirpur 1, Mirpur 13, Mirpur 14, Kazipara, Sawrapara, and the area around Mirpur Bangla College. A number of vehicles were vandalized during the demonstrations.
Furthermore, 50-60 agitated workers equipped with sticks vandalised the factories of Banex Apparels Limited and Load Star Limited in Mirpur Section 13.
The factories were reportedly attacked after their workers declined to join the protests.
Police dispersed workers from Mirpur 1, Mirpur 13, Mirpur 14, Kazipara and Sawrapara around 2pm, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC-Mirpur) Shahen Shah Mahmud told the Dhaka Tribune.
"We managed to bring the situation under control after holding discussions with the workers," Shahen Shah said. "The traffic situation has returned to normal."
Meanwhile, after an event in Mirpur around 12pm, DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said: “Workers only demonstrated in a few areas; in most of the areas, nothing happened."
"We will investigate whether any individual or parties are trying to use the protests for their own ends. Legal action will be taken against anyone responsible," he added.
The DMP commissioner further said the government was sincere in its efforts to find a solution to the wage dispute, and the situation would hopefully be resolved in a day or two.
10 hurt as RMG workers, police clash in Ashulia
At least 10 people have been injured and vehicles vandalized as apparel workers and police clashed in Ashulia, on the outskirts of Dhaka.
The incident took place Saturday morning while hundreds of garment workers staged demonstrations for the sixth day blocking the Dhaka-Tangail highway in protest against the discrepancy in their new wage structure.
Agitated workers of some 15 garment factories took to the streets and vandalized ten vehicles on the highway around 11am, injuring 10 people including passengers.
At one point, police charged batons and used water cannons to foil the protesting workers.
Ashulia Industrial Police Superintendent of Police (SP) Sana Saminur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune: "Workers of some 20 nearby garment factories block the road and vandalized vehicles."
50 factories suspend operations
RMG workers in Tongi took to the streets and began protests after hearing that five workers had been picked up by plain-clothes law enforcement officials.
The protestors blocked roads, and also vandalized some vehicles and factories.
At one point, there was a chase and counter chase between the RMG workers and police. At least 10 people were injured at the time.
Tongi (East) police OC Kamal Hossain said traffic returned to normal after police dispersed protesters who had blockaded the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and Tongi-Narsingdi road. Police efforts took about an hour.
He also confirmed that five workers had been detained.
RAB 1 commanding officer Sarwar Bin Kashem told the Dhaka Tribune that RAB conducted a raid from 2am-4am on Saturday, and arrested five people for their alleged involvement in vandalizing 9 garment factories in Tongi.
The arrestees are Shamim, 24, Roman, 27, Alamgir Hossain, 24, Abu Sayeed, 32, and Sohel Sarker, 24.
The RAB 1 CO said the arrestees have admitted their involvement in vandalizing the factories and realised they had done wrong.
Local factories officials said salaries and allowances for workers were being distributed according to the government’s rules, but outsiders were manipulating RMG workers into taking to the streets.
The government has formed a committee to look into the wage discrepancies in the RMG sector. The 10-member body held its first meeting on Thursday, December 10.