Police use batons to break up workers' protest march to Secretariat

Several protesters suffer injuries as police intercept their march to demand payment of their arrears before Eid

Police have dispersed a group of garment factory workers who were marching towards the Secretariat to push for the payment of their salary arrears before Eid-ul-Fitr.

The workers began their march from Sram Bhaban on Tuesday but were intercepted near the National Press Club.

Witnesses said police had already set up barricades along the route. As the workers tried to push forward, police cracked down on them using batons and tear gas shells, forcing the protesters to scatter.

The workers had been staging a sit-in in front of Sram Bhaban for the past three days, demanding their unpaid wages.

Shahbagh Police Station chief Md Khalid Mansur said, "The workers hurled bricks and stones at the police from behind the barricade. Three of our officers were injured."

"We quickly brought the situation under control. The crowd was dispersed, and later they left the area on their own," he added.

However, Sadequl Rahman Shamim, general secretary of the Garment Workers Trade Union Centre, gave a different account. Speaking to bdnews24.com, he said: "There was no clash. Even before the workers could reach the barricade, police fired tear gas and charged with batons to disperse them."

"When the workers tried to regroup, police intervened again, leading to a brief chase," he added.

When asked about injuries, Shamim said: "I personally sent seven or eight workers to the hospital, but the actual number of those injured is much higher."

Shahbagh Police Station's Inspector Asaduzzaman said law enforcers followed protocol and blocked the march when the workers tried to enter the Secretariat road.

"When they started throwing bricks and stones at the police, we used tear gas to control the situation and disperse them," he added.