Police disperse garment workers gathered outside factories in Pallabi

Police have dispersed garment workers gathered outside several factories in Dhaka’s Pallabi, while security has been tightened at Mirpur-10 roundabout.

Workers gathered outside several garment factories in an alley near Purbai Cinema Hall in Mirpur around 9am on Wednesday.

Police moved in to disperse them, triggering tensions between the two sides.

A female worker at the scene told bdnews24.com that they were protesting for higher wages but no media outlet was interviewing them.

She accused police of beating workers the previous day, despite reports that roads were clear and traffic was moving normally.

She said workers wore their identity cards during protests and questioned how they could have brought lighters.

Those who set vehicles on fire were outsiders, she claimed.

Another group of workers alleged that they had come to speak to their factory chief executive officers (CEOs) about ensuring a safe working environment, but police misbehaved with them and forced them to leave.

Pallabi Police chief Jalal Uddin denied the allegation, saying he was at the scene with police personnel and no such incident had taken place.

Police, meanwhile, maintained a heavy presence at Mirpur-10 roundabout from early Wednesday. No workers were seen there, and traffic was moving normally.