The authorities of around 150 garment factories in Ashulia and Gazipur declared holiday on Sunday as workers’ protests demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000 turned violent, disrupting industrial operations and traffic.
The protests spread across several industrial areas in Dhaka and Gazipur, with workers taking to the streets to press for higher wages and allowances and an end to blacklisting.
Amid the unrest, authorities announced the closure of more than 100 garment factories in Gazipur, particularly along the stretch from Konabari to Chandra Palli Bidyut, to prevent further violence.
Mohammad Amjad Hossain, Superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police-2 said more than 100 factories in the area declared holiday to avoid untoward incidents.
Gazipur Deputy Commissioner Md Nurul Karim Bhuiyan said BGB members were deployed in industrial areas to prevent further trouble and maintain public safety.
Amid the unrest, around 50 factories at Narshinghpur, Jirani, Baripara, Sreepur and Baipail in Ashulia declared general holiday.
Mominul Haque Bhuiyan, Superintendent of Industrial Police, said law enforcement personnel were deployed in the area to prevent any untoward incidents.
In Dhaka, at least 20 people, including 4-5 police personnel, were injured in clashes between police and ready-made garment workers in Mirpur area.
Garment workers blocked the Mirpur-10 intersection around 9:00am, bringing traffic to a standstill on several connecting roads.
Several hundred workers also blocked roads connecting Mirpur-11 with Agargaon and Mirpur-2 with Mirpur-13.
A police vehicle was also set on fire near Purabi Cinema Hall.
Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Mirpur Division) Hasan Mohammad Naser Rikabdar said police detained 15 to 20 people in connection with the clashes and arson.
Traffic around the Mirpur-10 intersection returned to normal after noon, he said.
In Gazipur, workers from different factories staged demonstrations and blocked several points of the Dhaka-Tangail Highway, including Palli Bidyut, Konabari, Bhogra, Naojor and Chandra.
The protests turned violent as workers threw bricks and stones at police, prompting law enforcers to fire tear gas and sound grenades to disperse them.
Chases and counter-chases took place while protesters set fire to logs and tyres on the roads.
Protesters attacked a police box beneath a flyover and set fire to it.
They also vanadalised 15 vehicles including a police vehicle, during the protest.
According to BGB Headquarters Public Relations Officer Shariful Islam, BGB members were deployed in Chandra, Palli Bidyut, Safipur, Konabari, Mouchak, Naojor and Bhogra Bypass in Gazipur under the supervision of five executive magistrates. The deployment will continue until November 7.
The highway remained blocked for around five and a half hours before traffic movement gradually resumed in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, Kaliakair Fire Service Station Officer Tarek ul Islam said two fire service units were dispatched after receiving information about a fire at the jhut warehouse of Tropical Knitex Ltd in the Chandra Palli Bidyut area of Kaliakair upazila of Gazipur district.
He, however, could not confirm the cause of the fire.
In Savar, thousands of garment workers gathered in the Narshinghpur area in the morning and staged demonstrations demanding higher allowances and a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000.
At one stage, protesters took position in front of a garment factory of Sharmin Group and blocked the Abdullahpur-Baipail highway, disrupting traffic.
Earlier, garment workers staged several demonstrations and went on work abstention in Mirpur over the same demand, blocking roads for hours on Thursday and Saturday.
Some workers also vandalised garment factories and shopping malls following Saturday's blockade.
Meanwhile, the government has formed a six-member wage board to review the minimum wage structure for garment workers amid the ongoing protests across industrial areas.