10 platoons of BGB deployed in Gazipur amid workers’ protests

Ten platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed in Gazipur to maintain law and order amid ongoing protests by industrial workers demanding higher wages.

Gazipur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Nurul Karim Bhuiyan confirmed the deployment on Monday morning.

The BGB personnel will operate under the leadership of 21 executive magistrates to bring the situation under control, he said.

The deputy commissioner said the deployment was made in response to the ongoing workers’ protests in the industrial district. Law enforcement agencies will work to ensure that no state property or public lives and property are damaged in the name of the movement.

BGB personnel have already taken positions in the field, while other law enforcement agencies remain on standby, he added.

Workers from several factories in Gazipur have been blocking the Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways for the past few days, demanding higher wages.

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During the protests, agitated workers set fire to a police box, a factory warehouse and a vehicle. Clashes have also broken out between workers and law enforcement personnel on several occasions, leaving both sides injured.

Journalists have also come under attack, while several people have been detained.

The unrest has forced authorities to temporarily close around 100 factories.