Police Box Set on Fire as Gazipur Garment Workers Protest for Second Day; Government Forms Six-Member Wage Board

Garment workers are protesting for a second day by blocking the Dhaka-Tangail highway, demanding that the minimum monthly wage be set at Tk 30,000. At one stage of the protest, which began on Sunday (November 1) morning, angry workers set fire to a police box located under the Konabari flyover in Gazipur city.

Konabari Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Iftekhar Hossain confirmed the matter. He said the workers had blocked the highway, and during that time the police box under the Konabari flyover was set on fire.

It was learned that the workers joined work at various garment factories on Sunday morning. Later, demanding that the minimum wage be set at Tk 30,000, they came out of the factories and took position on the highway.

At one stage, workers from the Chandra, Palli Bidyut, Safipur, Mouchak, Konabari and Kashimpur areas gathered on the highway carrying sticks. Because of the worker unrest, the authorities declared a holiday at most factories in these areas.

Due to the workers' blockade, vehicle movement on the Dhaka-Tangail highway came to a halt. Ordinary passengers fell into extreme suffering as a result.

Speaking to police, factory workers and local residents, it was learned that workers have been protesting for the past two weeks in various industrial areas of Gazipur, including Konabari, Mouchak and Safipur, demanding a wage increase.

Earlier, workers kept the Dhaka-Tangail highway blocked from Saturday noon until night. Although they left the road at night, they took position on the highway again on Sunday morning and resumed the protest.

Meanwhile, the government has formed a six-member wage board to determine new wages for garment workers. However, worker unrest in various factories has not subsided even after the decision to form the wage board.

Gazipur Deputy Commissioner Nurul Karim Bhuiyan said BGB has been deployed on the highway to keep the situation normal, and members of other law enforcement agencies are also in the field. He said the district administration is monitoring the workers' demand with importance.