Dhaka: Clashes broke out between garment workers and police in Dhaka's Mirpur area on Tuesday as protests over wage demands entered their fourth consecutive day. Police used tear gas and baton charges to disperse demonstrators and bring the situation under control.
The clashes came hours after several garment factories, particularly in Mirpur, partially resumed operations in the morning, with workers beginning to return to their workplaces.
However, tensions flared again when workers left factories and took to the streets, prompting police intervention. Security personnel used tear gas and baton charges to disperse the protesters and restore order.
The situation was later described as largely under control, although police continued to patrol the area.
Speaking exclusively to ANI at the site, a police officer said no garment workers were present in the area and described those gathered there as troublemakers allegedly attempting to create instability. He said police were working to restore law and order.
The latest clashes come amid continuing protests by garment workers demanding a substantial increase in their minimum monthly wage. The current minimum wage is BDT 12,500, while workers are seeking an increase to BDT 30,000.
Earlier, Bangladesh Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed alleged that industrialists and factory owners linked to the former Awami League government were instigating unrest in the garment sector.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with leaders of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) at the Secretariat on Monday, Salahuddin claimed that some former lawmakers and ministers were involved in fuelling the unrest, The Daily Star reported.
"Some of them were MPs, ministers or state ministers at different times. We have information that these industrialists are behind the unrest, and it has been established," he said, as quoted by the newspaper.
The minister alleged that groups supporting the ousted regime were exploiting workers to create instability through highway blockades, arson and violence. He also claimed that some individuals operating under the banner of labour organisations were involved.
Salahuddin said the government had collected video footage, audio recordings and other evidence relating to violent incidents, adding that some individuals had already been brought to justice.
"We want to make it clear that those involved in activities against workers' interests, violating law and order and conspiring to create instability will be dealt with sternly," he said, as quoted by The Daily Star.
According to the newspaper, the minister also alleged that some factory owners had deliberately shut their establishments to aggravate the situation. BGMEA and BKMEA leaders had agreed to provide the government with a list of factories allegedly closed with ulterior motives.
Authorities had also sought details of labour leaders and organisations suspected of instigating the unrest.
The Home Minister maintained that genuine garment workers and their organisations were not involved in the violence, arguing that they would not want to jeopardise their livelihoods.
He said the government had initially attempted to resolve the situation through dialogue despite receiving intelligence warnings about possible unrest. However, law enforcement agencies had now been instructed to take firm action against attempts to incite violence or disrupt public order.
Addressing workers' demands for higher wages, Salahuddin said the government had constituted a minimum wage board on Sunday. A revised wage structure would be determined through discussions, he said, noting that the existing three-year wage review period ends in December.
The minister also said some factories in Gazipur and Kaliakair, which had remained closed for a day amid the unrest, reopened on Monday. However, several other units continued to remain shut for reasons unrelated to the protests, including financial difficulties and declining export orders.
The protests have also been reported in industrial areas such as Konabari and Chandra in Gazipur, near Dhaka, which are home to a large number of garment factories. Several factory owners had suspended operations amid fears of attacks and continuing security concerns.
Despite the partial reopening of factories on Tuesday, fresh clashes in Mirpur and the continued deployment of police personnel have underscored persistent tensions in Bangladesh's garment sector.