Sabotage plot under guise of labour protest in Mirpur, 29 detained

Police have arrested 29 people on allegations of setting fire to and vandalising a police vehicle during a road blockade by garment workers in Mirpur, Dhaka, demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000.

They were arrested from different parts of Mirpur on Sunday afternoon.

Police alleged that Alif Mollah, nephew of former Mirpur lawmaker Elias Mollah, had mobilised more than 100 people and sent them to join the workers’ movement. They were allegedly involved in setting fire to and vandalising the police vehicle.

Of the 29 detainees, 11 were arrested by the Mirpur division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch (DB). Police from different local police stations arrested the others.

A source in the DB police said local leaders and activists of the Awami League (whose activities have been banned in the country) were found to be involved in setting fire to and vandalising the police vehicle under the cover of the workers’ movement for their legitimate demands.

Mohammad Rakib Khan, deputy commissioner of the DB’s Mirpur division, told Prothom Alo that the detainees were followers of former lawmaker Elias Mollah and that some held party positions.

He said Alif Mollah had mobilised more than 100 people and sent them to the workers’ movement. They later acted together to set fire to and vandalise the police vehicle.

A DB source said the detainees had organised themselves through an online group and planned large-scale sabotage by using the workers’ movement.

Earlier on Sunday, garment workers blocked roads and staged demonstrations in Mirpur, demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000.

Clashes and chases between the workers and police took place in several rounds from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. At one point, protesters set fire to a police vehicle beneath the Mirpur-11 metro rail station.

Following the clashes, the Mirpur-10, Mirpur-11 and Pallabi metro rail stations were closed from 11:38 am to 1:58 pm.

Meanwhile, nine people have been arrested in Gazipur on allegations of instigating the workers’ movement. Police said they are leaders and activists of the Awami League and its associate organisations.

They were arrested during raids in different areas of Kaliakair upazila of Gazipur early on Sunday.

The arrestees are Yusuf Sikder, office secretary of the Awami League’s Kaliakair upazila unit; Sanwar Hossain, former general secretary of the Mouchak union unit of Jatiya Sramik League; Ariful Hossain, former vice-president of the Kaliakair upazila unit of banned Bangladesh Chhatra League; Masum Mia, organising secretary of Ward 9 unit of Bangladesh Krishak League and Mohammad Mehedi Hasan Mizan, an active member of Jubo League.

The others are Saiful Islam, Mohammad Russell, Shaikat Sheikh and Mizanur Rahman, whom police identified as active members of the Awami League.

Kaliakair police station Officer-in-Charge Shahidul Islam said the nine were not arrested simply for joining the workers’ protests. They were arrested following allegations of involvement in various acts of violence, he added.