Bangladeshi garment workers protest for higher minimum wage

Thousands of garment workers protested in Mohakhali, in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka, on Friday, demanding 5,000 taka (71.43 U.S. dollars) as minimum wage, and the scrapping of the newly established wage scales.

Assistant deputy commissioner of Gulshan zone police Nurul Alam was quoted as saying by private news agency bdnews24.com that demonstrations from Tejgaon industrial area to Mohakhali began around 8:30 a.m.. "They are holding small processions," he added.

The workers have vandalized several cars, he said.

Additional police and Rapid Action Battalion members have been deployed in the area to thwart any untoward situation.

At 11 a.m. local time, Tejgaon industrial area deputy police commissioner Chowdhury Monjurul Kabir proposed the workers to sit in discussion on condition of leaving the streets.

The workers, however, rejected the call.

Following this, police baton-charged them at around 11:30 a.m. to disperse them. The workers in reply threw brickbats towards the police.

Police said there are some 400 garment factories in the area, of which most workers have taken to the streets.


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