Police use water cannon, tear gas to disperse protesters in Mirpur

Police used water cannons, tear gas and sound grenades to disperse the garment protesters who blocked Mirpur area since Sunday morning.

The clashes erupted when police attempted to remove the protesting workers from the streets after they staged demonstrations in different parts of Mirpur from the morning.

The protests began around 9AM with a road blockade at Mirpur-10 roundabout. Workers from garment factories in Mirpur-11, Mirpur-12, Prashika intersection and adjoining areas later joined the demonstrations, bringing traffic to a complete halt.

At one stage, police used water cannons, tear gas and sound grenades to disperse the protesters, triggering chases and counter-chases as well as repeated clashes between the two sides.

Pallabi Police Station OC Jalal Uddin said workers had been demonstrating on the streets since morning in Mirpur-10, 11 and 12 and surrounding areas. 

Additional police personnel had been deployed to manage the situation, while efforts were underway to clear the roads, he added.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labour has already formed a minimum wage board to determine wages for garment workers. However, workers have continued their agitation, demanding a minimum monthly salary of Tk 30,000.

On Saturday, workers also blocked roads in Mirpur-10, Mirpur-11 and several other areas from around 10:30AM over the same demand.