A police constable sustained severe injuries after being isolated and beaten with sticks by a group of individuals during garment factory workers’ wage-increment protests in the capital’s Mirpur area. The incident occurred around 11:00 am on Tuesday, 3 November, on Kalshi Road. The injured officer, identified as Constable Md Simon, is currently receiving treatment at Rajarbagh Police Lines Hospital.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Pallabi Police Station, Jalal Uddin, confirmed the occurrence and detailed the sequence of events. According to police sources, law enforcement personnel had earlier dispersed protesting workers from the Mirpur-11 intersection, prompting the crowd to move towards Kalshi. During this shift, a small contingent of officers from Pallabi Police Station was heading towards Mirpur-11. Constable Simon became separated from his unit along the route, whereupon a group set upon him.
Video footage of the assault shows several men repeatedly striking the isolated officer with wooden sticks, while a few bystanders attempted to intervene and restrain the attackers.
Tensions had been escalating in the area since earlier in the morning. Around 10:30 am, violent clashes erupted between ready-made garment workers and police forces directly beneath the Mirpur-11 Metro Rail Station. Demonstrators pelted law enforcement personnel with brickbats, prompting officers to respond with tear gas canisters and sound grenades to restore order. The sudden escalation left several commuters trapped inside the station premises as police engaged the crowds below.
Trouble had been brewing across the industrial belt of Pallabi since early morning, where thousands of workers gathered outside various apparel units. Many demonstrators carried sticks as they assembled. When crowds spilled onto the main thoroughfares, obstructing traffic, police erected barricades to prevent further movement. The confrontation quickly turned volatile, leading to widespread stone-throwing directed at police lines.
Following the outbreak of violence, police launched targeted drives in the surrounding alleyways. Pallabi Police Station OC Jalal Uddin confirmed that five individuals were arrested from various lanes in the Purabi industrial area in connection with the unrest and the attack on the officer. Authorities subsequently cleared demonstrators from the primary arterial roads, bringing the situation under control and restoring normal traffic flow across Mirpur.
