Fresh protests, clashes rock Ashulia industrial area

The Ashulia industrial area in Dhaka was tense again on Tuesday as garment workers resumed protests after a break of several days, including government holidays.

Defying the government's call to return to work following the recent formation of a new minimum wage board, a section of workers blocked the Baipail-Abdullahpur Road in the Jamgora area around 10:30am, demanding that the minimum monthly wage be set at Tk 30,000, an end to unjustified blacklisting, reinstatement of laid-off workers and the release of arrested workers.

Witnesses and locals said workers initially joined their respective factories as usual in the morning, but workers at several factories later stopped work. They subsequently took to the streets in Jamgora and began demonstrating, leading to clashes and chases between workers and police. Police fired rubber bullets, tear gas shells and sound grenades to disperse the protesters.

Ashulia Industrial Police-1 Superintendent of Police Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan said police resorted to tear gas and baton charges after workers created disorder and threw brickbats at police. Two workers were injured, he said.