Police have arrested 48 people and accused around 10,500 unnamed individuals in five cases following garment worker protests in Mirpur, Dhaka.
Mirpur Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hasan Mohammad Naser said the cases have been filed in connection with the violence, comprising three at Pallabi Police Station, one at Mirpur Model Police Station, and one at Kafrul Police Station.
The demonstrations broke out as workers demanded a minimum monthly wage of Tk30,000, escalating into clashes, arson, and attacks on police officers.
At Mirpur Model Police Station, OC Md Hafizur Rahman said one case was filed against 3,000 unidentified people over the vandalism of a traffic box and an attack on police personnel.
Six suspects have been arrested so far, with several others detained on Monday whose identities are currently being verified while drives continue using CCTV footage.
At Pallabi Police Station, three cases were filed with police as plaintiffs, charging 2,000 to 2,500 unnamed individuals in each case.
Pallabi OC Jalal Uddin said these cases involve charges of torching a police vehicle, attacking police officers, obstructing government officials from discharging their duties, and vandalising a traffic box.
Sixteen individuals have been arrested across the three Pallabi cases.
Meanwhile, the Detective Branch (DB) said local leaders and activists of activity-banned Awami League had plotted to incite violence in Mirpur by exploiting the workers’ wage demands.
A section of them organised via online groups to plan large-scale sabotage under the cover of the demonstration.
Among those detained in Mirpur, 11 are activists of activity-banned Awami League, Jubo League, and banned Chhatra League who are not local garment factory workers.
They had gathered from various districts to carry out sabotage, attempting to divert the general workers’ movement, instil panic among the public, and create instability nationwide.
Fresh tension flared on Monday around 10:45am when workers attempted to gather on the main road through an alley in Senpara Parbata area near Mirpur-10.
Police chased them away and fired several tear gas shells to disperse them. Shortly afterwards, another group attempted to take to the road near the Proshika Intersection adjacent to the Mirpur-2 Stadium but were repelled by police. Eyewitnesses reported that workers arrived in scattered groups from the Rupnagar area towards Proshika Intersection around 11am.
As police intercepted them on the road, a tense situation broke out between police and the workers.
Following the protests and clashes, law enforcement personnel, including police, remained on high alert across Mirpur from Monday morning.
Police forces were deployed at the Mirpur-10 roundabout and surrounding locations, where riot control vehicles and water cannons were kept on standby.
Despite the security presence, vehicular traffic on the roads in and around Mirpur-10 remained normal with no disruptions, allowing pedestrians and the public to move freely.
