RMG protests spillover into fifth day

Protests by ready-made garment workers continued for the fifth day at Savar, Gazipur, and Narayanganj to push for a minimum monthly wage of TK 8,000.

Traffic at the Dhaka-Tangail highway was disrupted when workers at the Konabari area of Gazipur took to the street.

Management closed down more than 100 factories to stave off damage and chaos.

Not less than 20 factories in Savar were closed Wednesday amid protests and demonstrations.

At least 50 injured in clashes between police and protestor. Agitated RMG workers had set fire on a police vehicle.

Series of clashes between workers and police left at least 10 injured at Fatulla area of the Dhaka-Narayanganj Link Road.

Locals say, workers damaged quite a few vehicles during the demonstrations.

Fatulla Police OC Saiful Islam said, around 9.30am, thousands of RMG workers blocked the Dhaka-Narayanganj Link Road and disrupted traffic for about 15 minutes. The police later chased them away.

At 10.30am, the workers returned to the highway again and clashes erupted when the police tried to remove them.

Police had to lob tear-gas shells and fired rubber bullets to disperse the protesting workers.

Factories around the area closed down after the clashes.

SI Md Rabiul Islam of Konabari police outpost said, workers of different factories of the BSIC industrial area and Chandra area started demonstrations in the morning.

They called on workers of other factories to join them.

Around the same time, workers of Maks Sweater and Meem Noon Knitwear vandalised factory premises at Sinabah area in Kaliakoir upazila.

Traffic at the Dhaka-Tangail highway was disrupted for 30 minutes when workers took position on the high way.

ASP Md Faruk Hossain of Tongi Model Police station said management of Radisson garments had to shut down the factory after workers went on a wild-cat strike from Wednesday morning.

Around 10am, RMG workers at Ashulia in Savar took to the streets. At least, 20 factories were closed Wednesday amid the protests.

Workers blocked the Nabinagar-Kaliyakoir highway and damaged vehicles. More than 50 were injured when clashes broke out between the law-enforcers and protestors.

The police resorted to baton-charges and lobbed tear-gas to disperse the demonstrators.