Police vehicle torched on Naojor flyover in Gazipur, BGB member injured; factory closures rise to 250
Angry garment workers set fire to a police vehicle on a flyover in the Naojor area of Gazipur city. In addition, a BGB member was injured by bricks thrown by workers. Around the workers' movement demanding higher wages, protests and blockades took place at various points of the Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways.
The police vehicle was set on fire on the Naojor flyover at around 1pm on Monday (November 2).
Hiron Mia, an official of the Chowrasta Modern Fire Service, said workers were demonstrating in the Naojor area demanding a wage increase when a police vehicle was set on fire. On receiving the news, fire service personnel tried to reach the scene but could not get there in the face of obstruction by the workers.
Meanwhile, in the face of the movement, general holidays were declared at 150 more factories on Monday. The factory authorities concerned made the announcement at around 10:30am. Earlier, on Sunday (November 1), holidays were declared at 100 factories. In all, holidays have now been declared at 250 factories. Amzad Hossain, superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police, confirmed the matter.
Police and local sources said workers began demonstrating from the morning at various places including Konabari, Mouchak, Palli Bidyut, Chandra, Bhogra, Naojor and Signboard. At one stage they blockaded the Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways. At noon, the police vehicle was set on fire on the Naojor flyover.
The workers' demand is that the minimum monthly wage be fixed at Tk 30,000. Pressing this demand, workers of various industrial factories in the district have been demonstrating by blockading the highways for the past several days. The movement has not stopped even though a new wage board has been formed.
Eyewitnesses said that at around 8:30am on Monday, workers began their demonstration by blockading the Palli Bidyut area of the Dhaka-Tangail highway. In the Chandra-Palli Bidyut area of Kaliakair, a BGB member was injured by a brick thrown by demonstrators. He was later taken quickly to hospital.
Police and BGB are working to bring the situation under control in the Chandra Palli Bidyut area. Ten platoons of BGB have been deployed in Gazipur to control the labour unrest. As traffic on various roads was disrupted by the movement, ordinary people suffered. There were also allegations of vandalism at several shops.
To prevent deterioration of the law-and-order situation and untoward incidents centring the labour movement, strict security measures have been taken across Gazipur. At the initiative of the district administration, 10 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members have been deployed under 21 executive magistrates. The BGB members will serve to keep the law-and-order situation normal in the industrial areas of the district.
Gazipur Industrial Police superintendent Amzad Hossain said workers began demonstrating in various areas of the district from the morning. Workers have been removed from the Bhogra area. Police and BGB are working to normalise the situation in the other areas as well.
He said that when police and BGB are present at a spot, the workers move away. But when the law-enforcement forces leave the place, they start demonstrating again.
