Savar-Ashulia Garment Workers' Protest Eases by Afternoon, 264 Factories Declared Closed for the Day

Garment workers' protests in Dhaka's Savar and Ashulia, over demands including a minimum wage of Tk 30,000 and an end to blacklisting and layoffs, largely subsided after Monday afternoon (2 November). After a day of repeated chases and clashes, the situation in the industrial zone calmed down.

For several days, garment workers in Savar and Ashulia in Dhaka, the Gazipur industrial zone and Narayanganj have been staging road blockades and protests over the same demands, and clashes have also taken place with members of the law enforcement agencies.

From Monday morning, repeated chases, clashes and brick-throwing took place between workers and police in various areas of Savar and Ashulia. Police fired tear gas shells and sound grenades to bring the situation under control. A covered van was set on fire in the Narsingpur area. Because of the worker unrest, a general holiday was declared at 264 garment factories in Savar-Ashulia. An assistant superintendent of the Industrial Police was injured in the clashes.

According to Industrial Police and eyewitness sources, workers of the Newage factory in the Nishchintapur area began a work stoppage in the morning. At around 9:30am they came out of the factory and began protesting with demands including a minimum wage of Tk 30,000. At one stage they demonstrated in front of nearby factories. After gathering in front of the Ananta Group factory, the workers also took position in front of the Ha-Meem Group factory. When brick-throwing and an attempt to blockade the road took place there, tension arose with the police.

From the morning, workers' protests also spread to the Narsingpur, Nishchintapur, Zirabo, Kathgora and Ghoshbag areas of Ashulia. Workers took position on the road in the Baroipara area of the Nabinnagar-Chandra highway. When police tried to obstruct them at various places, chases and brick-throwing occurred. Assistant Superintendent of Industrial Police-1 Shoaib Ahmed was injured by bricks thrown by the workers.

At around 11:15am, a covered van of the Ha-Meem Group was set on fire in front of the Nadi filling station in Narsingpur. As tension spread in front of various factories at the same time, the authorities declared a general holiday at one factory after another. Holidays were declared at various garment factories including Ananta, Knit Asia, Al-Muslim, Trouser Line, Honorol, Sharmin, Deco and Bengal. Protests and brick-throwing by workers also took place in front of the Bengal Plastic Pipes Limited factory on the Zirabo-Kathgora road.

Superintendent of Industrial Police-1 Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan said in the afternoon that a general holiday had been declared at 264 garment factories in Savar and Ashulia because of the worker unrest. Workers of many factories had left without working. Workers had also been brought out from nearby factories where work was under way. Holidays had been declared at most factories in the Narsingpur, Bishmail and Kathgora areas. He said police also had information that outside miscreants had joined the movement.

Police have detained several people from various places over disorder and violence in the industrial zone. However, Dhaka District Superintendent of Police Shamima Parvin could not immediately give the exact number of detentions. During a visit to the industrial zone in the afternoon, she said Industrial Police, Ashulia police station and Savar police station personnel had conducted drives at various places and detained many people involved in vehicle vandalism, attacks on factories and brick-throwing. As various units conducted the drives, it had not been possible to coordinate the total number of arrests; she expressed hope it would be announced after the evening.

After visiting the industrial zone in the afternoon, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Dhaka Range Md Mostafizur Rahman said the government had formed a wage board to fix workers' wages and the board had begun its work. Even so, police do not consider the activities of those creating an unstable situation in the industrial zone to be a workers' movement. He said strict legal action would be taken against them and against the instigators behind them, and that many troublemakers had already been arrested.

The DIG also said no worker had been killed by police gunfire. A quarter was trying to mislead workers by spreading false information and rumours on social media. He also claimed provocative statements were being spread from certain social media groups, where protests at specific places were announced at night and took place the next day. Those involved would be identified and brought under the law, he said.

Dhaka District Superintendent of Police Shamima Parvin said some helmeted and masked individuals had taken part in vandalism and violence during the movement. CCTV footage, videos recorded by journalists and intelligence information were being analysed to identify them. She claimed some miscreants had infiltrated among the workers to try to create an unstable situation in the industrial zone. She said major damage had been avoided because action was taken on the basis of advance intelligence. Work was being done in coordination with the Industrial Police, BGMEA and the owners to ensure the factories' security. Calling on workers to return to work, she said their safety was the responsibility of the police.

Additional police, Industrial Police, APBn and RRF members have been deployed to ensure overall security in the industrial zone, it was stated.