Gazipur wage protests: 4,000 accused in three cases over arson, vandalism

Police have filed three cases over arson and vandalism during garment workers’ protests for higher pay in Gazipur, naming about 4,000 people as suspects.

Industrial Police lodged two of the cases and Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP) one over the unrest since Sunday.

Amjad Hossain, superintendent of Industrial Police-2 (Gazipur), said at least 30 people have been arrested.

Workers’ protests spread from Sunday morning across Konabari, Kashimpur, Mouchak, Shafipur, Chandra and Palli Bidyut, with protesters blocking the Dhaka-Tangail Highway and halting traffic.

Workers and law enforcers chased each other back and forth. A police box was set on fire in Konabari, and arson and vehicle vandalism followed in the Palli Bidyut area and elsewhere.

Police fired tear gas and sound grenades to bring the situation under control, and five platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed.

Police officer Amjad said workers from different factories took to the streets again on Monday morning over unpaid wages, in Kaliakair Upazila’s Safipur, Chandra and Palli Bidyut areas and Gazipur city’s Bhogra bypass, Konabari and Salna.

“The protesters set vehicles on fire and blocked the highway. On receiving the news, police and BGB rushed to the scene and cleared the workers off the highway with tear gas and sound grenades,” he said.

Vehicles began to move normally again an hour after the protests began, or half an hour in some places, once protesters were removed from the highway, he said.