Masked men infiltrated protests to create chaos, footage shows: Home Minister

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said video footage of recent protests in the garment sector found no involvement of ordinary workers or labour leaders. Rather, masked men infiltrated the protests and created disorder.

The home minister made the remarks at a press conference in the meeting room of the Ministry of Home Affairs at the Secretariat on Monday afternoon.

Earlier in the day, he held separate meetings with leaders of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), followed by a meeting with labour leaders in the afternoon.

Referring to the video footage, Salahuddin Ahmed said a review of recordings of the past few days’ protests showed no connection with workers or labour leaders. Masked individuals who were neither workers nor involved in the wage demands had infiltrated the protests and were creating disorder on the streets, he said.

The government would take strict action against those creating disorder on roads and highways, he added.

Regarding ordinary workers caught up in the unrest, the home minister said the government would give special consideration to those arrested after becoming victims of the situation. Necessary measures would also be taken to ensure proper medical treatment for those injured in unintended incidents, he said.

Urging workers to return to their factories, Salahuddin Ahmed said, “A wage board has been formed. Now return to your industry, return home, resume production and return to your workplaces. Labour leaders will now represent you at meetings of the wage board.”

He added that those deliberately continuing to block roads despite the formation of the wage board could not, under any circumstances, be considered friends of the workers.

At the press conference, Babul Akhtar, general secretary of the Sammilito Garments Sramik Federation and a member of the wage board, said outsiders had entered factories during the protests and forcibly compelled them to declare holidays.

He said the protests had also drawn in street vendors who had been evicted at different times, political figures and people with outstanding dues.

Warning workers against being provoked, Babul Akhtar said, “Do not do anything at anyone’s instigation that could harm the industry.”

He said different people were proposing minimum monthly wages of Tk 27,000, Tk 30,000, Tk 32,000 and Tk 37,000. Worker representatives would discuss the matter, finalise a proposal and present it at the wage board’s first meeting, he added.

At the same press conference, Nazma Akter, president of the Sammilito Garments Sramik Federation, also urged workers to return to work as soon as possible.

Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury, Prime Minister’s Adviser Mahdi Amin, and labour leader and lawmaker Shimul Biswas were also present.