Two police officers were injured and two police vehicles were vandalised during a clash between police and garment workers in Uttara, Dhaka, on Saturday morning. The incident occurred at around 10.30am in Sector 4 of the capital, as workers attempted to block a major road over demands for higher wages and other benefits.
According to information from the police, around 1,000 to 1,500 garment workers gathered on Road 13 in Sector 4 of Uttara before attempting to move towards the main road to stage a blockade. Police officers intervened to prevent the workers from blocking the road, forcing them to retreat. A chase and counter-chase subsequently broke out between the two sides.
Mohammad Rezaul Karim, deputy commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Uttara Division, told the Bangladeshi newspaper Manabzamin that police initially attempted to negotiate with the workers.
He said the workers were carrying sticks and other objects when they took to the streets. Police tried to speak to them, but the workers did not respond to their efforts, according to the deputy commissioner.
Police subsequently deployed water cannons and sound grenades to disperse the crowd. Rezaul Karim claimed that officers did not baton-charge the workers and instead chased them away to bring the situation under control.
The deputy commissioner also alleged that the workers attacked police personnel, injuring two officers. One of the injured officers reportedly suffered a broken arm.
In addition to the injuries, a police pickup vehicle and a motorcycle were vandalised during the incident, he said.
The police official stated that the situation had subsequently been brought under control and that the entire area was under police control.
The incident highlights the tensions that can arise when garment workers take to the streets to press for better wages and improved employment conditions. Bangladesh’s ready-made garment industry is a major contributor to the national economy and provides employment to millions of people. Wages, workplace conditions and other employment-related benefits have periodically been sources of disagreement between workers and employers.
However, details of the workers’ specific demands in Saturday’s protest were not immediately available. There was also no confirmed information on whether any workers were injured during the confrontation or whether the incident caused significant disruption to traffic in the surrounding area.
Further details about the workers’ response to the police action and any subsequent negotiations between the two sides were not immediately available.
