Leftist student organizations have demanded the prompt prosecution of police officers allegedly involved in attacking student-workers on Tuesday.
They also urged the interim government to accept the workers' demands and stand in solidarity with them.
Expressing their support for the protesting workers, the organizations staged a torch procession starting from TSC, Dhaka University, at around 7:30pm on Tuesday.
The procession marched to Shrom Bhaban after rallying through the Raju Memorial Sculpture, Doyel Chattar, and Purana Paltan Mor, reaching their destination at around 8pm.
Jabir Ahmed Jubel, general secretary of the Revolutionary Student Unity, speaking on behalf of the protesters, said that no other class has to protest for their overdue salaries, emphasizing that the gathered workers had been demonstrating for several days demanding their rightful wages.
He further criticized the state's response, saying: "Whenever workers protest for their wages, the state intervenes. But when their salaries remain unpaid for months, the state does nothing to address the issue."
Referring to the workers’ active participation in the July uprising, he remarked: "Post-uprising Bangladesh is not a country for workers—it is a country for Hakim, Bashundhara, and Ha-Meem Group. A faction of those who wield power from the July uprising is now serving the interests of these corporate owners."
Mahir Shahriar Reza, president of the Bangladesh Student Union, told Dhaka Tribune that leftist organizations joined the protest to express solidarity with the workers and to condemn the attacks on RSU leader Dilip Ray and the workers, who attempted to surround Shrom Bhaban after a week-long demonstration demanding their unpaid wages.
"If the government does not accept the workers' demands by this Eid, we—the leftist student organizations—will take to the streets and force them to comply," he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, clashes broke out between garment workers and police near the Secretariat over unpaid wages.
Workers from several garment factories staged a march toward the Secretariat in the afternoon, demanding three months of overdue salaries, Eid bonuses, and maternity leave compensation.
Eyewitnesses reported that over 500 workers and employees from multiple garment factories participated in the protest, including workers from TNZ Apparels, Apparel Plus Eco Limited, Roar Fashion, Style Craft Garments, and Third Composite Textile Limited.
