OC's pickup set ablaze in Savar; Over 50 injured in chases-counter chases

Garment workers blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway in Savar and staged demonstrations, demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk30,000 and four other demands.

During the unrest, a police pickup van used by Saiful Alam, officer-in-charge of Savar Model Police Station, was set on fire.

Clashes between workers and police broke out repeatedly on Wednesday morning, 4 November, at Hemayetpur, Padmar Mor and Ulail. At least 50 people, including police personnel, were injured, according to police.

Three journalists were also attacked and assaulted. They were Ahmad Sohan Siraji, district correspondent for Star News; Raiyan Bin Amin, a reporter for Ekattor TV; and Mohammad Uzzal Hossain, a cameraman for the same channel.

The injured journalists said they had finished interviewing workers and were filming footage at the scene when a group of masked men approached them. After asking their identities, the men beat them with sticks and bricks. Several local residents later intervened and helped the journalists leave the area.

At around 9am, workers from several factories gathered near Padmar Mor in Tetuljhora union and the Hemayetpur bus stand. They later split into several groups and took positions on the highway.

At about 9.10am, the workers blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway, bringing traffic to a halt in both directions. The blockade triggered a traffic jam stretching nearly two kilometres, leaving commuters stranded.

Clashes erupted when police tried to disperse workers at Padmar Mor and Ulail. Workers hurled bricks and stones, prompting police to fire tear gas to break up the crowds. Several people, including police officers, were injured.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel were deployed in Hemayetpur to help bring the situation under control.

Several garment factories in the industrial area declared a general holiday amid the clashes and highway blockade.

The protesting workers said it was increasingly difficult to meet the rising cost of living on a monthly wage of Tk12,500. They said they were demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk30,000, an end to unlawful blacklisting and the cancellation of unjustified layoffs.

Mohammad Asaduzzaman Noor, officer-in-charge of Savar Highway Police Station, said workers had taken to the highway with three demands. Additional police personnel had been deployed to prevent further incidents, he added.