Demand to implement ninth pay scale: Police disperse protesters from InterContinental intersection
Police have dispersed the protesters heading towards the chief adviser’s residence, Jamuna, in a protest demanding the implementation of the ninth pay scale, from the InterContinental intersection.
After they were removed around 1:15 pm, traffic resumed on the main road adjacent to the InterContinental intersection.
The protesters gathered at Shahbagh in the capital at around 10:30 am today, Friday. When they attempted to move towards Jamuna, police stopped them repeatedly.
At one point, police used water cannon and fired sound grenades. Defying the police barricades, the protesters moved forward towards the front of the chief adviser’s residence, Jamuna.
After 11:00 am, the protesters staged a sit-in there for a short while. At that point, police dispersed them by using water cannon, tear gas and sound grenades.
At around 12:30 pm, the protesters took up position at the Hotel InterContinental intersection. Several protesters in injured condition were seen being taken away from there by police.
Shortly before 1:00 pm, most of the protesters were gathered at the InterContinental intersection, while others were scattered across nearby roads.
After 1:00 pm, police fired sound grenades at protesters at the InterContinental intersection. Faced with the blasts, one group of protesters moved from towards Shahbagh, while another headed towards Banglamotor.
Police then took up position at the InterContinental intersection, and traffic later resumed along the main road adjoining the InterContinental intersection.
To ensure security around Jamuna, six platoons of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed in the areas around Kakrail Mosque and the Hotel InterContinental in the capital, BGB sources said.
The protesters are demonstrating under the banner of the 'Sarkari Karmachari Dabi Adai Oikya Parishad' (Government Employees’ Unity Council for Realisation of Demands). Police have blocked the area in front of Hotel InterContinental with barricades.
The protesters are staging a demonstration in front of the barricades, blocking the road. Traffic on the Banglamotor–Shahbagh road has been halted.
The protesters were chanting slogans such as, “No compromise, only struggle,” “Not offices but the streets,” “Implement the pay scale immediately,” and “We will not leave Jamuna without the pays cale.”
Borhan Uddin, an office assistant at the Department of Youth Development, said, “The government has completed all the procedures for the ninth pay scale but has not issued the gazette notification.”
“This has been our long-standing demand. We have learnt that the gazette is being delayed due to objections from a political party. We will not accept this. The pay scale must be implemented immediately,” demanded the office assistant.
Shahbagh police station officer-in-charge (OC) Md Moniruzzaman said, after the government employees blocked Shahbagh intersection at around 10:00 am, traffic on surrounding roads came to a standstill.
Despite being asked to clear the roads, they did not respond. Police later charged the protesters and used water cannons, after which they moved away and took up position in front of the Hotel InterContinental, added the OC.
Meanwhile, the platform Inqilab Moncho has been holding a sit-in in front of Jamuna, since Thursday afternoon, demanding an impartial investigation under the United Nations into the killing of Shaheed Sharif Osman bin Hadi.