Police smell conspiracy behind workers’ unrest

Gazipur Correspondent: Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Industrial Police Md Zakir Hossain Khan on Saturday said they smell a rat behind the unrest in the readymade garment (RMG) industry in Gazipur.
“The government has already announced wages and our notion is that a group is instigating them (RMG workers) to do movement. We are identifying those who are provoking them (demonstrating workers),” he said.
DIG Zakir told this to journalists when he was visiting Tusuka Garments damaged during the workers’ movement in Konabari area of Gazipur on Saturday noon.
He said labour unrest has been prevailing here over the increase of wages of the workers.
“We have information that destructive activities were carried out in 123 factories partially and severally over the increase of labourers’ wages in the garment sector. So far 22 cases have been lodged with several police stations and 88 people arrested,” the industrial police official said, adding that Konabari is more violent than other areas.
There is a light movement in Ashulia while no movement in Chattogram over the wage hike, he said, alleging that a group is instigating in Konabari. Industrial police and intelligence cells are also working.
Members of Industrial police, Gazipur Metropolitan Police, Rapid Action Battalion, district police and other enforcement agencies arrested 88 people involved with the destructive activities and their drives are on in this regard, he said.
The workers who were involved with the destructive activities along with outsiders will be arrested while the innocent workers are not needed to be tensed over the arrest, he said.
He informed that they talked to owners’ authorities to open the factories and go for production as 17 factories are now closed in Konabari.
It may be mentioned the authorities have closed 130 garment factories in Ashulia, Savar and Dhamrai due to workers’ protests.
The closure notices were seen at the entrances of factories on Saturday, confirmed Mohammad Sarwar Alam, superintendent of Savar Industrial Police.