At Least 50 Injured Including OC in Savar Worker-Police Clash, Police Vehicle Set on Fire
Garment workers clashed with police in Savar's Ulail and Hemayetpur Padmar Mor areas. There were repeated clashes and chases, and workers set a police vehicle on fire.
The clashes took place on Wednesday (4 November) at around 8:15am in front of Standard Group at Padmar Mor in Hemayetpur and at around 9am in front of Al-Muslim Group in Savar's Ulail area.
At least 50 people, including Savar Model Police Station OC Saiful Alam, police personnel and workers, were injured during the clashes. The injured were given first aid. Journalists and pedestrians were also among the injured, the report said.
Police and eyewitnesses said garment workers gathered at Padmar Mor in the morning demanding a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka and began protesting. When they took position on the road, police tried to remove them, creating tension with the workers.
When workers then threw bricks at police, the situation turned into a clash. Police fired tear gas, sound grenades and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters and bring the situation under control. At that time, workers attacked a police vehicle and set it on fire.
After 9am, workers split into several groups and took positions at Padmar Mor, Hemayetpur bus stand and various nearby places. At around 9:10am they blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway, stopping traffic on both sides and causing extreme suffering to passengers and the public.
Industrial police sources said workers blocked the road in the morning, protested and threw brickbats at police. Police fired tear gas to control the situation and in self-defence. A tense situation prevails in Padmar Mor and surrounding areas after the incident.
Dhaka District Superintendent of Police Shamima Parveen said, 'In the morning, 30,000 to 40,000 workers gathered from both sides at Padmar Mor and became aggressive towards police, and police resisted. At that time, the protesters set fire to the Savar Model Police Station OC's vehicle. The OC was seriously injured in the protesters' attack.'
Lieutenant Colonel Taimun, commander of the BGB Dhaka Battalion on duty in Savar, said, 'About three platoons of our members have been deployed here. They are at various places, in Ashulia as well as in Savar. Those who are creating disorder, who actually have no goal or purpose, are dispersing. It seems to me there are not many workers here. Most are miscreants who are creating problems. We are working against those who are creating problems and public suffering, as we see it.'
In Savar's Ulail area, when agitated workers blocked the road to press their demands, police tried to remove them. There were arguments and brickbat throwing between police and workers. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters.
To avoid any untoward situation and maintain overall security in the Savar-Ashulia industrial area, law enforcement personnel have been kept on alert. Three platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed for the security of the industrial area.
Savar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Saiful Islam said at around 9:30am that workers had taken position on the road. Necessary steps are being taken by the administration to normalise the situation. Due to worker unrest, a general holiday was declared at several garment factories around Padmar Mor bus stand. However, a section of workers later returned home peacefully.
