Workers block highway in Kaliakair demanding Tk 30,000 wage; at least 30 injured in clashes

Garment workers in Kaliakair, Gazipur, blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway on Monday demanding a minimum wage of Tk 30,000, demonstrating and vandalising vehicles. At least 30 people, including a BGB member and journalists, were injured in clashes with law-enforcement forces. Traffic on the highway returned to normal at noon after the situation was brought under control.

According to local residents, workers, police and passengers, after days of continuous worker protests the government formed a wage board on Sunday. Even so, the workers did not join work and began protesting on Monday morning in various areas of Kaliakair upazila.

At around 8 am, workers carrying sticks blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway at Mouchak, Safipur, Ansar Academy's Gate No. 3, Harinhati and the Pallibidyut area. The blockade brought traffic on the highway to a complete halt.

At around 9:30 am, workers laid an electricity pole across the highway near Ansar Academy's Gate No. 3 in Safipur, closing the road. On receiving the news, BGB, Kaliakair police and industrial police, with the help of local people, removed the pole from the highway.

At around 11 am, several vehicles were vandalised in the Pallibidyut area. When BGB, Kaliakair police and industrial police went to the scene to try to control the situation, chases and counter-chases and clashes broke out with the agitated workers.

Law-enforcement forces later used baton charges and tear gas shells to move the workers off the highway. The workers are alleged to have thrown brickbats at the forces even after that. Traffic returned to normal at around 12 noon, after four hours.

BGB member Kabir and journalists Delwar Hossain and Abdul Mannan were among several people injured by brickbats. The injured were treated at various local clinics.

Meanwhile, in the Naojor area of Gazipur city, agitated workers set fire to a police vehicle on a flyover. A BGB member was injured there by brickbats thrown by workers. Protests and blockades over the workers' pay-rise movement took place at various points on the Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways.

The agitated workers said forming a wage board alone will not be enough. Their minimum pay must be Tk 30,000, and they will continue the movement until the demand is met.

According to police, a third party or a force has been creating disorder on the roads for several days in the workers' name in order to destabilise the country. On that allegation, a raid on Sunday night arrested nine members of Chhatra League, Sramik League and Swechchhasebak League from various areas.

Ten platoons of BGB have been deployed in Gazipur to contain the worker unrest. District administration executive magistrate Arif Hossain said BGB members, led by 21 executive magistrates, have already taken up a strong position to keep the law-and-order situation normal.

Leaders and activists of the upazila and municipal BNP and its affiliated organisations also took to the roads to control the heated situation, gathering at various points on the highway with the slogan 'If industry survives, the country survives — Bangladesh before all'. When they tried to move workers away in the Safipur and Pallibidyut areas, chases and clashes broke out with them as well. Several BNP leaders and activists and garment workers were injured at the time, and the injured were given first aid at various local clinics.

Former upazila BNP general secretary Parvez Ahmed said: 'The government has already formed a wage commission board. The workers' minimum pay will be set very soon. Even so, the workers were not supposed to take to the streets.' He added that they had learned that several people in the Pallibidyut and Chandra areas were trying to create disorder, blocking roads and throwing brickbats in the workers' name.

Kaliakair police station officer-in-charge Shahidul Islam said: 'In the morning the workers blocked the highway. But after the wage commission board was formed, the workers are hopeful; they were not supposed to go into protest.' He said nine people have been arrested in raids on the allegation that a third party or force has been creating disorder on the roads for several days in the workers' name to destabilise the country, and that the drive will continue.

From Monday morning, workers of various garment factories blocked roads and demonstrated in the Konabari, Safipur, Mouchak and Pallibidyut areas of Gazipur city. The movement, continuing for several days, has heated up Gazipur's industrial belt once again.