Mirpur wage movement: 10,500 accused in four cases, 22 arrested; pledge of higher pay with January salary

Four cases have been filed over worker protests, clashes, arson and attacks on police in the capital's Mirpur in the movement demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000. A total of 10,500 unidentified people have been accused in the cases. So far, 22 people have been arrested.

The officers-in-charge (OCs) of Mirpur Model and Pallabi police stations gave this information on Monday afternoon.

Mirpur Model Police Station OC Md Hafizur Rahman said one case had been filed at his station over vandalism of a traffic box and an attack on police. Three thousand unidentified people were accused in the case, and six people have been arrested so far in connection with it.

The OC added that several more people were arrested on Monday as well, but their identities and involvement are being verified. Efforts are under way to identify and arrest those involved by reviewing CCTV camera footage.

Pallabi Police Station OC Jalal Uddin said three cases had been filed at his station on charges of setting fire to a police vehicle, attacking police, obstructing government work and vandalising a traffic box. Police are the plaintiffs in all the cases.

He said each case accuses 2,000 to 2,500 unidentified people. Sixteen people have been arrested so far in these cases.

The Detective Branch (DB) of police has claimed that 11 of those arrested are leaders and activists of the banned Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League. Operations by law enforcement agencies over the violence surrounding the workers' movement are continuing.

The garment workers' protest in Mirpur demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000 has entered its third day. Since Monday morning, there have been repeated attempts by workers to gather in the Mirpur-14 and Mirpur-10 areas, police chases and tear gas firing.

Amid the ongoing worker unrest, Babul Akhtar, the workers' representative on the minimum wage board, has called on ready-made garment workers to return to work.

At a press conference held at Sram Bhaban in the capital on Monday (2 November), Babul Akhtar said: "Whatever it is, more or less, with the salary of January 2027, the workers should get it in hand. We have nothing to delay; we are mentally ready."

He added that work would be done on the wage board with the utmost sincerity and responsibility so that workers receive the increased wage from next January, and that there would be no delay.

Following garment workers' demands for a wage increase and the ongoing unrest, the government on Sunday formed a new six-member minimum wage board. Led by Senior District and Sessions Judge Sheikh Ashfaqur Rahman, the board has ABM Shamsuddin and Asif Ayub as owners' representatives. Babul Akhtar and Anwar Hossain are the workers' representatives. Dhaka University Professor Mosleh Uddin Ahmed is the neutral representative.

At the press conference, labour leaders said that in setting an acceptable and realistic wage structure, current inflation, workers' real cost of living, families' basic needs and the overall industry situation must be taken into account.

They also said that instead of any single or isolated decision, a collective and united position would be built on the opinions of all workers' federations in the country, factory-based unions and general workers.

Concern was also expressed at the press conference over the detention and harassment of workers and labour leaders in connection with the movement. Babul Akhtar said many workers and leaders had been detained or arrested on the pretext of being involved in the wage movement. He demanded the immediate release of workers and leaders detained for taking part in a peaceful movement, and the withdrawal of harassing cases and legal measures against them.

The leaders present at the press conference stressed the collective cooperation of all three sides — government, owners and workers — to keep industry production normal and to ensure workers' fair rights.