Garment workers protest for third day over wages, 414 factories closed

Garment workers' movement demanding a wage increase has entered its third consecutive day. On Monday too, protests, road blockades, clashes and vandalism took place in various areas of Gazipur and Savar.

At least 414 factories in the two industrial areas were declared closed due to worker unrest, according to industrial police sources. Of them, 264 are in Ashulia and at least 150 in Gazipur.

Demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000, garment workers protested by blocking roads last Saturday in Mirpur in the capital, Kaliakair in Gazipur and Ashulia in Savar. Clashes and chases between workers and police took place in Kaliakair and Ashulia.

The government formed a minimum wage board last Sunday to increase garment workers' wages. Workers still continued the protests. That day more than two and a half hundred factories in Savar-Ashulia and Gazipur were declared closed.

According to the garment owners' organisation BGMEA, until 3:30 pm on Monday workers of 679 factories in Dhaka, Gazipur, Mymensingh, Ashulia and Jilani areas of Savar left work. Of them, 65 factories are in the Mirpur area, 382 in Gazipur and Mymensingh areas, 223 in Ashulia and Jilani areas of Savar and 9 in Narayanganj. Earlier on Sunday workers of 529 factories left work, BGMEA said.

Meanwhile, workers tried to take to the streets in Mirpur in the capital on Monday as well. Police dispersed them by firing tear gas shells. Workers also blocked a road for about four hours in Narayanganj and protested.

From Monday morning garment workers protested in Chandra, Naojor, Bhogra and other areas of Gazipur. At that time there were highway blockades, arson on a police vehicle, vehicle vandalism and repeated chases with police. At least 12 people including BGB, police and journalists were injured.

Police and local sources said a group of workers gathered in the morning at Chandra Palli Bidyut area of Kaliakair upazila on the Dhaka-Tangail highway and started protesting. At one stage they took position on the highway and traffic stopped. This created a traffic jam of about 10 to 12 kilometres on both sides of the highway.

At around 11 am, when BGB and police members moved to disperse the workers, chases took place between the two sides. A BGB member was injured by bricks thrown by protesters at that time.

At around 12 pm a police vehicle was set on fire in the Naojor area of Gazipur city. Several vehicles were also vandalised at that time. A Somoy Television reporter and cameraperson were attacked there and their camera was vandalised.

Gazipur deputy commissioner Md Nurul Karim Bhuiyan said 10 platoons of BGB have been deployed in Gazipur from Monday to control the worker movement and keep the law and order situation normal. Twenty-one executive magistrates will perform duty with them.

Police have filed three cases over arson on a police vehicle, vandalism and other damage during the movement in Gazipur. The cases were filed at Konabari, Bason and Kaliakair police stations. Police sources said about 3,600 people have been accused in the three cases. Earlier two more cases were filed over Sunday's incidents. Police said 32 people had been arrested in these cases by Monday evening.

But no case was filed over the Savar-Ashulia incidents. At around 8:30 pm on Monday, Dhaka district additional superintendent of police (Savar circle) Rakibul Hasan Ishan said four people were detained over the Savar and Ashulia incidents. Several complaints have been received. The matter of filing cases according to law based on the complaints is under process.