Savar:At least 20 individuals, including five policemen, sustained injuries during clashes between garment workers and police in Ashulia, Savar. The workers were demanding a wage increase and the release of colleagues arrested during previous labor demonstrations. The unrest led to the closure of over 50 garment factories in the area on Tuesday.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the police used rubber bullets, tear gas shells, and sound grenades to disperse the protesting workers. The demonstrators retaliated by throwing bricks and stones at the police. A significant police presence later succeeded in dispersing the crowd.
The protests began around 1000 am when workers from several factories took to the streets in the Jamgora area, pressing for a monthly minimum wage of Tk 30,000 along with other demands. The situation escalated into clashes lasting nearly an hour as police attempted to clear the streets.
In a separate incident in the Nischintapur area, five police officers were injured by projectiles thrown by protesters, with one officer sustaining a serious eye injury. Factories under the New Age Group in Ashulia were closed indefinitely in response to the unrest.
Garment workers Nasir Uddin and Rabeya Begum criticized the government for delaying wage increases and alleged that arrested workers were being denied bail. They insisted their protests would continue until their demands were met.
Amid the tensions, authorities declared holidays in factories such as Star Link, Envoy, and Sharmin Group to control the situation. Workers then targeted nearby factories with bricks and stones, prompting around 50 factories to declare a one-day holiday.
Mominul Islam Bhuiyan, superintendent of police of Ashulia Industrial Police-1, stated that the police initially asked the workers to disperse to prevent disorder. The workers' refusal led to the police using tear gas and baton charges in response to bricks and stones hurled at them.
To ensure security and prevent further unrest, several platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel were deployed in Ashulia.