Mirpur clashes stop after five hours, traffic resumes on roads

Mirpur in the capital, which had turned into a battleground with repeated clashes, vandalism and arson, came under police control after about five hours. Traffic has now fully resumed after the workers left the roads. Law enforcement agencies, remaining on alert, are also carrying out searches to arrest those involved in the vandalism and arson, it was said.

After the situation was brought under control, Mirpur Division Deputy Commissioner of Police Mohammad Naser told reporters that although the government had formed a wage board over the garment workers’ pay rise, the way they had protested suggested a group inside them was instigating the unrest. “We have brought the situation under control. Vehicle movement has also started. Our work is continuing to bring those involved in vandalism and arson under the law,” he said.

At around 9am on Sunday, garment workers began arriving in processions from different directions at the Mirpur-10 roundabout. At one stage, at around 9:30am, they blocked the road, chanting slogans demanding a minimum wage of 30,000 taka. At around 11am, when police requested them to leave the road, the workers became agitated and chanted “fake, fake” slogans at the police.

A worker named Ashraful Islam said the prices of everything have now risen, and government officials and employees have received pay rises, but their wages have not increased. “We live in great hardship. Our pay must be increased. Until our pay is increased, our movement will continue,” he said. A woman worker named Sabiha said: “We have come to the streets for our fair demand. If our demand is not accepted, we will not leave the road.”

At around 11:15am, a large number of police began chasing the workers, and chase and counter-chase began between the two sides. The workers vandalised various shops beside the road and also smashed the glass of Jamuna Bank. Police fired repeated tear gas shells, sound grenades and water cannon to disperse them. The clash lasted about an hour and turned the area into a battleground. Unable to withstand the police, the workers dispersed, and police took control of Mirpur-10. Limited traffic resumed in the area at around 12:30pm.

But after 12:30pm, the workers regrouped towards Mirpur-11 and again took position on the road. They broke road dividers and left them on the main road, disrupting traffic. They set fire to a police vehicle parked under the metro rail at Mirpur-11. When a fire service vehicle arrived after receiving the news, the garment workers chased that vehicle as well.

In that situation, police went into action again and clashes began between the two sides. Police fired tear gas shells and sound grenades repeatedly to remove the garment workers from the road. The situation continued in the area for about an hour. At around 2pm, the garment workers retreated in the face of the police action and left the road.

Traffic had been stopped since the morning because of the Mirpur-10 blockade, causing suffering for passengers. Those who had gone out in the morning for office and other work on the first working day of the week suffered the most. Pressure of vehicles also built up on other roads in the capital because of the Mirpur blockade, creating long tailbacks. Many of those leaving Mirpur had to walk to their offices.

By the end of the day, after 2pm, the situation came under police control and traffic fully resumed as the workers left the roads. Police said work is continuing to bring those involved in the vandalism and arson under the law.