Unrest eases, production picks up

Garment workers returned to their workplaces peacefully in the Savar-Ashulia industrial belt on Friday, with production continuing at 88 factories despite the weekly holiday, signalling a gradual return to normality following days of labour unrest.

Workers joined their shifts without incident, while no fresh signs of disorder were reported across Hemayetpur, Savar and Ashulia.

Industrial police personnel remained deployed at different points in the area as a precautionary measure.

Industrial police officials said some factories routinely operate on weekly holidays to meet urgent shipment deadlines and other production requirements.

Friday was no exception, with 88 garment factories remaining operational across the industrial belt.

ASP Shoaib Ahmed of Industrial Police-1 told the media that the overall situation in the industrial area was normal.

“Factories generally remain closed on Fridays, but some operate when there are urgent requirements.

Today, 88 garment factories are open, and the situation across the industrial belt is peaceful,” he said.

Superintendent of Police of Industrial Police-1 Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan also confirmed that workers had joined their workplaces without any incident.

“Since Friday morning, the situation throughout the industrial area has remained peaceful and normal.

Eighty-eight garment factories are operating due to urgent requirements, and workers have joined their workplaces peacefully. Police personnel are performing their regular duties,” he said.

Khairul Mamun Mintu, legal affairs secretary of the Bangladesh Garment and Sweater Workers Trade Union Centre, said some factories regularly continued production on weekly holidays to meet urgent requirements.

“Workers have been urged to return to their workplaces peacefully.

The industrial area has maintained a peaceful atmosphere since Thursday, and we hope it will continue even when production resumes in full swing,” he said.

He said the formation of the wage board had opened up an opportunity to resolve workers’ demands and grievances through negotiations.

“Workers should return to their workplaces and keep production running while waiting for the wage board’s decision.

Their wage-related demands should be addressed through dialogue,” he said.

However, he cautioned that fear and insecurity among workers could hamper efforts to restore normal production. “If workers feel intimidated, it will be difficult to bring them back to their workplaces.

Allegations of police searches and harassment at workers’ homes must be addressed. Their safety and a normal working environment must be ensured,” he added.

Political allegations
Meanwhile, BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi accused the fugitive Awami League and its associates of attempting to destabilise the garment industry and other sectors to undermine the elected government.

Speaking at a press conference at the party’s central office in Nayapaltan on Friday, Rizvi alleged that the recent violence in the garment sector was not linked to genuine workers’ movements.

“Workers may have legitimate demands, and discussions have already taken place to address their grievances.

But even after those demands were accepted, incidents of factory vandalism, attacks on police facilities, arson targeting vehicles and the beating to death of a worker took place. These incidents have nothing to do with genuine workers’ movements,” he said.

Rizvi claimed that most of those arrested on allegations of inciting or participating in the recent unrest had links to Awami League-affiliated organisations, including the Jubo League and Chhatra League.

He also alleged that the identities of factory owners involved in the incidents were gradually emerging, claiming that many had close ties with the previous Awami League government.

According to Rizvi, some factory owners had allegedly shut their factories abruptly to provoke workers and trigger further unrest.

Questioning whether defeated political forces were attempting to regain influence by creating instability in the country’s largest export-oriented industrial sector, he asked, “Are the defeated forces trying to bring back fascism by creating unrest in the garment industry?”

He also expressed concern over alleged attempts to revive enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings to suppress dissent.

Rizvi further alleged that individuals who had looted the country’s banks, financial institutions and public resources during the Awami League’s 17-year rule had either fled abroad or were now attempting to create disorder from within the country.

He claimed that provocations were coming from both inside and outside Bangladesh, including from a neighbouring country, with the alleged aim of destabilising the government.

Asked about the possibility of violence surrounding the BNP’s November 7 National Revolution and Solidarity Day procession, Rizvi said the government and the public were prepared to prevent any disorder.

“The government is firmly prepared to resist chaos and anarchy. The law enforcement agencies are responsible for maintaining public order, and they will perform their duties accordingly,” he said.

He added that the government had sufficient capacity to tackle any attempts at sabotage and urged opposition political parties not to create confrontational situations for political gain.

Rizvi warned that attempts to escalate tensions could ultimately prove harmful to all sides.