Sixth day of Gazipur worker unrest: clashes with police, attempted attack on police station, highway disrupted

Clashes between workers and police, chases and counter-chases and road blockades in Gazipur on Wednesday over the garment workers' movement disrupted traffic on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway. Amid the tension, many Gazipur-bound buses were turned back midway, leaving ordinary passengers unable to reach their destinations and in severe difficulty.

The garment workers' movement demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000 entered its sixth day on Wednesday (4 November). Traffic on the highway was relatively light from the morning, but as the day progressed tension spread to different areas and the traffic situation worsened.

At around 9:30am, protesting garment workers blockaded the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and began demonstrating in the Barabari area of Boardbazar in Gazipur city. When members of the law enforcement forces moved in to remove them, chases, counter-chases and clashes broke out between the two sides.

When protesters hurled brickbats at police, the situation heated up further. At one stage, police fired tear shells and sound grenades.

Protesters then attempted to attack Basan police station in Gazipur city, it was learned. Brickbats were hurled inside the station and an attack was attempted with sticks. Police fired tear shells there to bring the situation under control.

The effects of the clashes and blockades spread to surrounding areas. As tense situations developed at points including Gazipur Chowrasta, Bypass and Hariken, Gazipur-bound buses and other vehicles were turned back midway.

In particular, many buses reaching the Gazipura intersection dropped off passengers or changed destination and turned back. Passengers were left stranded, unable to reach workplaces and other destinations, and arguments broke out between passengers and bus drivers and helpers.

Sohel Ahmed, a passenger of a Prabhati Banashree bus, said they were first told the bus would go to Gazipur, even as far as the Bypass, but were later told it would go no further, leading to arguments between many passengers and the bus staff.

Another passenger, Sharmin Akter, said some buses were going while others were turning back midway at will; passengers were suffering, but there was nothing to be said about it.

Police members on duty on the road, however, claimed the highway had not been fully closed. When workers tried to blockade the road in the Bypass area, they were removed, they said.

Gazipur Industrial Police Superintendent Amjad Hossain said the situation in most areas had been normal since the morning, but an isolated incident occurred in the Barabari area. Adequate numbers of law enforcement personnel had been deployed there to keep the situation under control, he said.

Road blockades and clashes at various places over the movement have disrupted normal activity in the industrial area as well as traffic on the highway, causing severe suffering for ordinary travellers on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.