SAVAR, Bangladesh- Clashes erupted between garment workers and police in Ashulia, on the outskirts of Dhaka, on Monday amid protests over wage and other workplace demands. A covered van belonging to a garment factory was set on fire during the unrest.
The violence broke out after 10am in the Narsinghpur and Nishchintapur areas along the Abdullahpur-Baipail highway, where workers attempted to stage demonstrations and block the road. Police fired tear gas and sound grenades to disperse the protesters, triggering several rounds of clashes and chases.
Witnesses said workers initially gathered outside factories operated by Ananta Group before moving towards Ha-Meem Group. Tensions escalated as protesters attempted to block the road, leading to confrontations with police.
At around 11:10am, a group of protesters set fire to a factory-owned covered van in front of Nadi Filling Station in Narsinghpur.
The unrest prompted authorities at most garment factories along the road to declare a general holiday and suspend operations for the day.
Earlier, around 9:30am, workers at Newage factory in Narsinghpur began protesting after a work stoppage. They were demanding, among other things, a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000. The demonstrations subsequently spread to workers at nearby factories.
Industrial Police-1 ASP Shoaib Ahmed, who oversees operations and intelligence, was injured after being struck by bricks and other projectiles during the clashes.
Shoaib Ahmed said police and other law enforcement agencies were working to bring the situation under control.
By 11:30am, the situation remained tense, with workers and law enforcement personnel facing off in the area. No major casualties had been reported at the time.
Additional police personnel were deployed in and around the affected areas to prevent further escalation and restore order.
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