Dhaka. In Bangladesh, the demonstration of textile factory employees demanding salary increase is becoming increasingly fierce. There were clashes between protesters and police in several industrial areas on Thursday. To control the situation, police released tear gas shells and used stun grenades. Dozens of people are reported to have been injured in the clashes.
The protests that have been going on for several days in the capital Dhaka have now spread to the surrounding industrial areas. Violent clashes broke out between workers and police in Fatullah in Narayanganj district on the outskirts of Dhaka. According to Bangladesh's leading daily 'Pratham Alo', the police have also arrested several protesters here.
About 100 factories are closed in Ashulia industrial area of Savar near Dhaka. Ashulia Industrial Police Superintendent Mominul Islam Bhuiyan said that efforts are being made to control the situation. At the same time, in Ghazipur district, another major industrial centre, employees blocked a major highway. According to Joint Police Commissioner Mahidul Islam, more than 10,000 policemen have been deployed to maintain law and order in Mirpur area of Dhaka, which became the epicenter of the protests.
Demand for minimum salary of 30 thousand taka
The government has constituted a new wage board to consider the salary hike demands of the employees. Board Chairman Syed Azad Subhani has said that under the new pay scale, employees will get their first salary in January. However, despite this assurance the demonstrations are not stopping.
The workers are demanding an increase in the minimum monthly wage from Taka 12,500 to Taka 30,000 (about $245). They say that due to inflation and rising prices of everyday items, their purchasing power has declined drastically. Bangladesh's textile industry employs about 4 million people, most of whom are women from rural areas.
Impact on export industry
Due to the protests, the functioning of the country's textile industry has been affected and hundreds of factories are closed. There are about 2,500 textile factories in Bangladesh. This industry is a major source of export revenue for the country and earns more than four billion dollars annually.