Violent clashes broke out between police and readymade garment (RMG) workers in Dhaka’s Mirpur-10 on Sunday afternoon as demonstrations demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk.30,000 escalated.
Police deployed batons, water cannons, tear gas and sound grenades to disperse hundreds of workers who had blocked the busy Mirpur-10 roundabout around 9:00 AM, halting traffic across Mirpur-10, 11 and 12.
Tensions flared further after police detained a worker on suspicion of being an abductor and held him in a local police box. Agitated protesters surrounded the post from all directions, prompting violent skirmishes with security forces. Additional police personnel were brought in and while law enforcement secured the main roundabout by afternoon, vehicular movement remained severely disrupted.
"The clashes are ongoing and we are dispersing the crowd" said Abu Naser Rikabder, Deputy Commissioner of police's Mirpur Division. Traffic authorities worked to divert vehicles onto alternative routes to ease severe gridlock.
Sunday’s violent clash marks the third consecutive day of unrest in Mirpur following blockades on Thursday and Saturday. The violence escalated even as Labour Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury announced the formation of a six-member minimum wage board at the Secretariat to address the workers' demands.
