All metro rail stations that were temporarily closed following clashes between garment workers and police in Mirpur, Dhaka, have reopened. Vehicular movement in the area has also returned to normal.
The workers’ protest began around 9am with a road blockade at the Mirpur-10 intersection. Later, all types of vehicular movement came to a complete halt in Mirpur-11, Mirpur-12, the Prashika intersection area and surrounding localities.
At the same time, Mirpur-10, Mirpur-11 and Pallabi metro stations were closed.
Garment workers from various factories staged protests for the second consecutive day in Mirpur-10, demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk30,000. Clashes broke out between workers and police when law enforcers attempted to remove the protesters from the roads.
At one point, police used water cannons and fired tear gas shells and sound grenades to bring the situation under control. This led to chases and counter-chases between workers and police.
Jalal Uddin, officer-in-charge (OC) of Pallabi Police Station, said additional police personnel had been deployed to manage the situation and that police were working to clear the roads and remove the protesters. The clashes created tension across the area.
