Dhaka:Police dispersed garment workers on Thursday afternoon who had blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in the Uttara area of the capital. The workers were protesting to demand a wage hike, among other issues.
According to United News of Bangladesh, police used batons and sound grenades to clear the highway, resulting in injuries to several workers and damage to some vehicles. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Uttara Zone) Ariful Islam Rony confirmed that a mild baton charge and sound grenades were used to remove the protesters and restore traffic.
Officer-in-Charge of Uttara East Police Station, Morshed Alam, however, denied the use of batons or sound grenades, stating that the workers left the highway voluntarily. He confirmed that traffic began returning to normal after 12 noon.
The blockage started around 930 am in the Azampur and Rajlaxmi areas of Uttara, where workers demanded an increase in minimum wages, timely payment of wages and allowances, and an end to arbitrary layoffs. The protest caused significant traffic congestion, stranding commuters and long-distance bus passengers for several hours.