A police vehicle belonging to an officer-in-charge (OC) was torched during clashes between garment workers and law enforcers in Hemayetpur, Savar, on Wednesday.
The vehicle belonged to Savar Model Police Station OC Saiful Alam, who was injured in the incident.
The clashes occurred in the Hemayetpur and Ulail areas as protesters staged demonstrations demanding three points, including a minimum monthly wage of Tk30,000.
At least 50 people, including police personnel and journalists, were reportedly injured.
Workers gathered in front of Standard Group at Padma Mor in Hemayetpur around 8:15am and in front of Al-Muslim Group in Ulail around 9am.
The protesters later blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway, halting traffic on both sides of the road.
Tensions escalated when police attempted to remove the workers from the highway. Protesters hurled brickbats at law enforcers, prompting police to fire tear gas shells, sound grenades and rubber bullets.
At one stage, agitated workers attacked and set fire to the police vehicle.
Three journalists — Star Television reporter Sohan Siraji, Ekattor TV reporter Raihan Bin and cameraman Ujjal Hossain — were assaulted while covering the incident.
Dhaka District Police Superintendent Shamima Parveen said the workers had gathered in Padma Mor area from two directions in the morning and attempted to attack police. She said law enforcers resisted the attack, during which protesters torched the vehicle of the Savar Model Police Station OC and seriously injured him.
Amid the unrest, several garment factories in Hemayetpur, Ulail and surrounding areas declared holidays. Workers at several factories in Nischintapur, Ashulia, also observed work abstention. After the holidays were announced, many workers took to the streets and attempted to block the Baipail-Abdullahpur road, but police dispersed them.
Additional police personnel have been deployed at various points in Savar and Ashulia to maintain order. Three platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel have also been deployed to ensure security.
Lieutenant Colonel Taimun, commanding officer of the BGB Dhaka Battalion, said BGB personnel had been deployed at different locations in Savar and Ashulia and were assisting law enforcement agencies in maintaining order.
By around 11am, law enforcement personnel had cleared the workers from the Dhaka-Aricha highway, allowing traffic to resume.
Savar Highway Police Station OC Md Asaduzzaman Noor said workers had occupied the highway to press their three-point demands, but vehicular movement returned to normal after they were removed. Additional police personnel remain deployed to prevent any further untoward incidents.
Meanwhile, a tense atmosphere continued to prevail in the Hemayetpur and Nischintapur areas following the clashes.
