RMG workers clash with security forces in Dhaka

NN Online:

Garment workers took to the streets in Dhaka’s Mirpur-14 area on Thursday morning, blocking roads. Protesters clashed with police and military personnel, throwing stones and setting fire to two army and police vehicles.

The area was effectively shut down as the protest spiraled into chaos, disrupting local traffic, reports UNB.

Garment workers, reportedly numbering between 4,000 and 5,000, gathered in Kachukhet area earlier this morning, demanding payment of their dues.

According to Shah Mohammad Faisal, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the Bhashantek Police Station, workers continued to demonstrate even after management agreed to meet their demands, ultimately leading to the closure of several factories.

Attempts by police and military forces to disperse the crowd were met with fierce resistance, as demonstrators hurled stones at law enforcement officials. In response, police resorted to batons to control the crowd. However, the situation escalated, leading protesters to vandalize and set fire to two vehicles belonging to the police and army.

The situation took a drastic turn, transforming the usually bustling Kachukhet area into what locals described as a “battlefield.” The fire service was alerted at 9:53 am, with two units arriving swiftly to extinguish the flames on the damaged vehicles. Two fire service units were dispatched immediately, and they managed to control the fires on both the military vehicle and the police transport, said Lima Khanam, the duty officer at the fire service control room.

The clash eventually subsided by 10 am, with the protesters dispersing and the area slowly returning to a tense calm.