Garment workers clash with police at Mirpur

Clashes broke out between garment workers and police in the capital’s Mirpur-11 area on Tuesday morning as workers continued their movement demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000, prompting authorities to close the Mirpur metro rail station.

The confrontation began after workers blocked the road in Mirpur-11 at around 10:15am. According to eyewitnesses, police fired sound grenades and tear gas shells to disperse the protesters. In response, workers hurled brickbats at police. Intermittent chases and counter-chases between the two sides were continuing at the time of filing this report. The Mirpur metro rail station was also kept closed following the incident.

Labour unrest intensified on Monday across three major industrial belts: Mirpur, Gazipur-Mymensingh, and Savar-Ashulia-Jirani. According to sources at the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), production was suspended at 679 garment factories after workers left their workplaces. As a result, 1,680,572 workers had to return home without completing their shifts.

BGMEA data showed that of the 2,134 factories across Mirpur, Gazipur, Mymensingh, Savar, Ashulia, Jirani, Narayanganj and Chattogram, 1,455 were operational as of 3:30pm on Monday.

The situation varied across industrial areas. In Mirpur, 55 of the 320 factories saw workers leave their jobs, affecting 53,840 employees. In Gazipur and Mymensingh, production was halted at 382 of 836 factories. In Savar, Ashulia and Jirani, workers at 223 of the 441 factories stopped work, involving 743,000 employees. Similar disruptions occurred at nine of the 199 factories in Narayanganj. No unrest or work stoppages were reported at any of the 340 factories in Chattogram.

The latest protests are part of an ongoing movement. On October 29, workers from several factories blocked the road at Mirpur-10 roundabout over the same demand, bringing traffic to a standstill and causing severe congestion on surrounding roads. Workers also blocked roads in the Mirpur-12 area that day, saying rising living costs had made it increasingly difficult to run their households on their existing wages.

In 2023, the government announced a minimum monthly wage of Tk 12,500 for workers in the garment sector.

Tensions remain high across the industrial areas, with the relevant authorities and law enforcement agencies taking measures to maintain order.