Youth Rajib Chandra Das held in Uttara over Facebook post on police vehicle arson in Mirpur

A youth has been detained over a Facebook status concerning the setting on fire of a police vehicle during garment workers' protests in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Sunday. The detained youth is Rajib Chandra Das. Police said he was held on allegations of posting on Facebook confessing to the police vehicle arson.

Uttara West police station detained him at around 11:50pm on Sunday (1 November).

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said Rajib Chandra Das was detained in a raid in the Paragon field area of Sector 9 under Uttara West police station in Dhaka. His current address in the capital is house 55, road 1, beside the Paragon field in Sector 9. His village home is in ward 4 of the Tulasar area in Shariatpur district.

Like the past few days, garment factory workers on Sunday blocked roads and protested in areas including Mirpur in the capital Dhaka and in Gazipur, demanding a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka. The movement is now the country's most discussed and developing story, with protests, blockades and clashes continuing for days in the industrial areas of Mirpur and Gazipur.

At around 8am on Sunday, workers of several garment factories in Mirpur gathered and took position in the Mirpur-10 roundabout area. Traffic movement was heavily disrupted at that important intersection and in adjoining areas.

At one stage, amid clashes with the protesting garment workers, a police pickup was set on fire at around 12 noon. The incident took place in front of the Purabi cinema hall.

Police said Rajib Chandra Das was detained at night on allegations of posting on Facebook stating his own involvement in that arson incident.