Journalists Attacked for Taking Photos in Gazipur: Six Hurt as Wage Protests Continue

Journalists and ordinary people are being attacked in Gazipur for filming the vandalism and arson surrounding the garment workers' ongoing movement demanding a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka. At least six journalists have been injured over the past few days. Members of the public who tried to record photos or videos at the scenes have also had their mobile phones snatched and smashed.

The injured journalists include the Gazipur correspondent and cameraperson of Somoy TV, the correspondent of Ekhon TV, the Kaliakair correspondent of Kaler Kantho, the correspondent of Deepto TV and the correspondent of Asia Post.

Local journalists say they believe a third party is using the garment workers' movement to carry out vandalism and arson. Recording such incidents on camera risks exposing the attackers' identities, which they believe is why journalists and members of the public are being attacked when they try to take photos.

Most recently, on Tuesday (November 3), several youths among the protesters set fire to old paper on the Dhaka-Tangail highway in the Naojor area of Gazipur city. They were heard shouting, 'Nobody take any photos.' Journalists present at the scene could not take pictures for fear of attack. Several onlookers who tried to record the incident on their phones had them snatched away, and there were also allegations that some phones were smashed.

Earlier, on Monday (November 2), a garment worker named Toufiq Hossain came under attack during the labour movement in the Banglabazar area of Gazipur city. He was admitted to a hospital in Dhaka in critical condition, where he died on Tuesday morning while undergoing treatment.

Local sources said Toufiq had been recording the workers' protest on his mobile phone when several garment workers, failing to recognise him, beat him up, leaving him seriously injured.

Tension also flared in Narayanganj's Fatullah industrial area on Wednesday over the same demand. Around 11 am, clashes broke out around the workers' movement in the Katherpul area of Fatullah, and police fired extensive tear gas shells, dispersing the workers. There were also chase and counter-chase incidents between workers and police, although the situation in the city's central Chashara area remained normal. Earlier, on Monday and Tuesday, workers had blocked the Dhaka-Narayanganj link road over the same demand, halting traffic and causing severe suffering.

Basan Police Station's Officer-in-Charge Md Harun Or Rashid said police are aware of the attacks on journalists who were taking photographs. Members of the public recording attacks on their phones have also had their phones smashed and snatched, he said.

The OC added that no written complaint has been filed with the police station over these incidents so far. The attackers may be doing this out of fear that photographs would reveal their identities.