60 arrested as garment workers’ wage protests turn violent

Police arrested 57 people in connection with garment workers’ protests demanding a minimum monthly wage of 30,000 taka on Sunday, according to official figures shared with Daily Waadaa.

This correspondent witnessed three more people being detained near the Mirpur-10 roundabout on Monday, bringing the total to 60.

Police data showed that the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested 48 people, Gazipur Metropolitan Police eight and Dhaka District Police one. Gazipur District Police reported no arrests.

The tally includes at least five labour leaders reportedly detained over the protests.

On Monday, this correspondent witnessed police detain three people near the Mirpur-10 roundabout, where garment workers had demonstrated.

One of them, Mohammad Rasel, said he had not taken part in the protests. Although he works in the garment sector, he told Waadaa he had gone to the area to shoot a TikTok video.

The official figures exceed initial estimates provided by police on Sunday, when authorities said around 20 people had been arrested in Gazipur and 19 detained in Mirpur.

Amjad Hossain, superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police, said police were still compiling the figures as operations continued.

“It is difficult to compile the total number of arrests at this stage, as operations are still ongoing in several places,” he said.

Gazi Jasim Uddin, chief of the Industrial Police, said authorities had initially refrained from making large-scale arrests for fear of escalating tensions.

“We did not try to arrest workers because we thought it could trigger further repercussions,” he said.

Jasim Uddin said those arrested would face allegations of sabotage for blocking roads and attempting vandalism.

He warned that protests could continue despite the formation of a wage board on Sunday.

“The wage board was formed to address the workers' demands, so the protests should have stopped. But it seems there may be some instigation by third parties. We will remain prepared tomorrow (Monday) as well. We do not expect the protests to stop simply because the wage board was formed today (Sunday),” he said.

The arrests have alarmed labour organisers. Shahadat Hossain, Gazipur district president of the Ganatantrik Garment Sramik Federation, said five labour leaders had been detained. He identified them as Rujina Akter Sumi, Kawsar Mia, Ali Asgar, Mostofa Kamal and Asadul Islam Masud.

“They are targeting and arresting workers and labour leaders,” he said, alleging a crackdown on organisers.

Nayim said Sumi, Kawsar Mia and Ali Asgar were arrested in Uttara on Saturday night and taken to the Detective Branch office in Gazipur.

Babul Akhter, general secretary of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation and a workers’ representative on the new wage board, urged workers to return to their factories now that the government had begun the wage-setting process.

“The wage board has been announced. General workers should return to work,” he said.

He called for the release of detained labour leaders if there were no specific allegations against them.

“If there are no specific allegations, they should be released without unnecessary delay,” he said.

Kalpona Akter, executive director of the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity, also urged workers to remain patient. She said the wage board should pave the way for negotiations, while the government and employers needed to explain the process more clearly.

Garment workers have been protesting for several days, demanding a substantial increase in the minimum wage. The government formed a six-member wage board on Sunday to review the existing wage structure and recommend a new minimum.

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