The pacts covered cooperation in many fields, including investment, taxation, maritime transport, labour, and education
Garment workers protest, clash in Ashulia on Sunday
Garment workers have taken to the streets for the seventh day to call for changes to the wage structure in the sector.
Published : 13 Jan 2019, 11:14 AM
Updated : 13 Jan 2019, 11:14 AM
They also clashed with the police on Sunday morning in Ashulia amid protests in Dhaka and its surrounding areas.
Police said that workers from different factories in Ashulia’s Unique, Jamgara, Baran and Narsinghpur areas suspended work at 8 am on Sunday and joined the protests.
When they tried to block the Dhaka-Tangail highway, police charged them with batons and drove them off.
Industrial Police-1 Director Shana Shaminur Rahman said that police dispersed the protesters using tear gas and water cannons when the protesters began throwing rocks.
At least 10 people were injured in the clash, including garment workers and police. Around 30 factories in Ashulia declared a holiday on Sunday to avoid vandalism.
On Nov 25 the government published a gazette fixing the minimum wage of garment workers at Tk 8,000. According to the gazette, the new wage structure was to take effect from Dec 1.
On Jan 6, garment workers from several factories staged demonstrations on Airport Road. Since then the protests have continued in various parts, often blocking traffic. Garment workers have also taken to the streets in Savar, Ashulia and Narayanganj.
The protesters allege that their salary has decreased in the new wage structure. They also claim that many factories have not implemented the new wage structure within the specified time. Industrial Police-1 Director Shaminur Rahman has urged the workers to inform police if any factory fails to pay salary under the new wage structure.
He said that additional police personnel were deployed in Ashulia industrial zone to avoid unrest.
Mirpur Police Inspector Wahiduzzaman said that around 7:30 am some garment workers in the area came out after registering their presence in the factory. The garments owners then declared a holiday after noticing the workers starting to gather in the streets.
Kafrul Police Station Inspector (Operations) Kamrul Hasan told bdnews24.com that workers of one garment factory stopped work at 8 am and took up positions in front of the factory near Chapra Mosque but dispersed after some time.
There has been a serious disruption is production due to the protests said the general manager of 'Rose Garments' Sadan Kumar Dey.
“This is a production industry. If the production is good then the industry is profitable. If the production is not good then the industry heads towards loss.”
He urged the workers to return to work.
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