Published : 03 Nov 2026, 11:30 AM
Updated : 03 Nov 2026, 11:30 AM
Police have dispersed garment workers who blocked the Baipail-Abdullahpur road in Ashulia during protests over their demand for a higher minimum wage, using tear gas shells and batons.
Workers gathered at Jamgora, Nishchintapur and several other points along the road from around 9am on Tuesday, bringing traffic to a halt.
Police moved in shortly afterwards to clear the route.
Nasima Akter, a sewing operator at Newage's Nishchintapur factory, said workers from her factory and nearby factories took to the streets before police used water cannons to spray hot water.
Police then fired tear gas and charged at the workers with batons, leaving many injured, she claimed.
Khairul Mamun Mintu, legal affairs secretary of the Bangladesh Garment and Sweaters Workers Trade Union Centre, said workers had entered their factories on Tuesday morning and punched in their attendance cards before coming out onto the road around 9am.
Workers from Newage, Ha-Meem, Virtual Bottom Limited and nearby factories were leaving their workplaces when police charged at them, fired tear gas and sprayed hot water, he said. The workers later moved away.
Repeated calls to Mohammad Mominul Islam, police superintendent for the Ashulia Zone of Industrial Police-2, went unanswered.
Garment workers have been protesting for several days across industrial areas, demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000.
Their demonstrations have continued despite the formation of a new wage board.
