Tear gas, grenades, stone-pelting: Bangladesh on the boil as workers wage protest turn violent

Another wave of protest has rocked Bangladesh as garment workers have launched violent protests over wages. Visuals on social media showed police personnel using tear gas and sound grenades to disperse the crowds. Vandalism and clashes was also reported in Dhaka and Gazipur. According to Bangladeshi media reports, government had deployed Border Guard Bangladesh as protesters vandalised police outposts and set police vehicles on fire.

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The unrest started on Sunday (Nov 1) and escalated in areas like Mirpur, Dhaka, and Konabari, Gazipur. Workers are demanding a monthly minimum wage of 30,000 taka, while the minimum wage for garment workers in Bangladesh currently is 12,500 taka per month. The protest comes at the backdrop of Bangladeshi government announcing a new pay scale for government employees, roughly doubling their salaries and benefits.

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Visuals on social media also showed vandalized factories. A video showed angry protesters throwing stones at police personnel and police Another showed several protesters blocking major roads and climbing barricades. In Dhaka, workers blocked the Mirpur-10 intersection from around 9 am, disrupting traffic on roads connecting Mirpur-11 with Agargaon and Mirpur-2 with Mirpur-13.

In Gazipur, traffic was disrupted in Dhaka-Tangail Highway and demonstrations spread across Palli Bidyut, Konabari, Bhogra, Naojor, Safipur and Mouchak. Protesters clashed with police and threw bricks and stones. According to reports, major economic arteries, including the Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways, have been physically blocked with makeshift barricades, burning tires, and logs. In several instances, protesters blocked arriving fire service units from reaching active factory fires.