Workers staged several rounds of protests in Hemayetpur, Savar, over demands for higher wages on Wednesday, triggering clashes and chases between protesters and police throughout the day.
After tensions eased in the morning, workers regrouped at Padma Mor in the afternoon and attempted to resist police. Police fired tear gas shells and sound grenades to disperse them.
At least 22 garment factories in Hemayetpur, Savar and Ashulia declared holidays following the unrest. Police, meanwhile, claimed that an external group was involved in the incident.
According to police, workers initially joined their shifts on Wednesday morning. However, after 10am, discontent spread across several factories in Hemayetpur, forcing some to suspend operations.
After leaving their workplaces, workers from AKH Group, Bobs Garments and several other factories took to the streets and attempted to force other factories to shut down. They later gathered in front of Jamuna Garments and staged demonstrations.
When the protesters attempted to block the road, police fired tear gas shells and sound grenades to disperse them in the first round of action.
At around 3pm, workers again attempted to regroup in the Padma Mor area of Hemayetpur. A chase and counter-chase ensued between workers and police.
As some workers threw bricks and stones at police, officers took a tougher stance and repeatedly fired tear gas shells and sound grenades to clear the streets.
Mahidul Islam, in-charge of the Savar Tannery Police Outpost, said around 400-500 workers had gathered in front of Max Garments, where police fired tear gas shells to disperse them. Clashes and chases also took place during the operation.
He said people were still present in the area and occasional attempts were being made to create unrest. However, police remained on alert to maintain overall law and order.
Mominul Islam Bhuiyan, superintendent of police of Industrial Police-1, said authorities had declared general holidays at at least 22 factories in Savar and Ashulia to prevent further unrest.
As of the latest reports in the afternoon, the situation in Hemayetpur had returned to normal following several rounds of clashes, and traffic on the roads was moving normally.
More than 100 personnel from district police, the Armed Police Battalion (APBn), Detective Branch (DB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) remained deployed across the area to prevent further incidents.
