Workers protest in Ashulia today, throwing brickbats at the police

The workers of several factories in Ashulia do not accept the minimum wage of Tk 12,500 for garment workers. They protested in some places of Ashulia on Thursday as well. At around 10:30 am, workers pelted bricks at the police in Narsinghpur and Nishchinpur areas of Bypail-Abdullahpur road in Ashulia. At that time, Shilpa Police-1 Assistant Superintendent of Police ABM Rashidul Bari and some passers-by were injured by bricks thrown by the workers. The police fired tear gas shells to disperse the angry workers.

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The police and the workers said that the workers arrived on time in the morning at various factories in Jamgara, Narsinghpur, Nishchintpur, Kathgara in Ashulia. However, the workers of several factories stopped working. Workers in several factories were given leave around 9 am. After the declaration of holiday in Jamgra area, the workers gathered on Abdullahpur-Bypail road. After some time the police arrived there and removed them from the road. When some workers took a stand on some roads in the area, the police dispersed them by throwing tear gas shells. Later some more factory holidays were announced.

Superintendent of Police of Ashulia Shilpa Police-1 Mohammad Sarwar Alam told Prothom Alo, ‘One of our assistant superintendents of police was injured by the brick thrown by the workers. He was hit in the lower abdomen.’

Md. An injured worker named Arif was treated at Ashulia Women and Children Hospital. He works in a factory of Ha-Meem Group in Narsinghpur, Ashulia. He said, ‘We were working in the factory. When the workers of other factories protested outside the factory at around 10 o’clock, the authorities closed our factory. After leaving the factory, the bricks thrown by the workers hit me on the head. A few other workers were injured. Later, when the police fired tear shells, everyone moved here and there.’

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Additional Superintendent of Police (Savar Circle) Shahidul Islam told Prothom Alo at around one o’clock that the workers were removed from the road when they gathered on the road for some time. Now the situation is normal.

Around 10:30 am, angry workers vandalized a covered van in Ashulia’s Narsinghpur area. At that time, the driver of the car was injured by the bricks thrown by the workers. He was rescued and taken to a local hospital. Driver Nasir’s relatives. Siddique said Nashir was going towards Uttara on a trip from EPZ. Workers vandalized his car when he was caught in protest in Narsinghpur area.

Meanwhile, angry workers beat up a journalist while performing professional duties in front of NASA group in Narsinghpur area around 1.30 pm. He complained that the workers took away his camera and mobile phone. Later he was rescued and given first aid at a local hospital.

The name of the injured journalist is HM Atiq. He is working as a representative of Daily Kantha magazine. He said, ‘I was standing in front of the NASA group in Narsinghpur area in the afternoon. At this time, the workers of the NASA group came out of the factory when they were given a lunch break. Suddenly the workers saw the identity card around my neck and started shouting “journalist” and started beating me. At this time, the workers took the video camera and mobile phone that I had with me.’