International rights organisations have condemned alleged police violence against garment workers protesting for higher wages in Bangladesh….reports Asian Lite News Desk
International human rights organisations have condemned the alleged violence and police crackdown against garment workers protesting for higher wages and better labour rights in Bangladesh. The criticism comes amid escalating unrest across the country’s garment industry, with more than 200 factories in Savar and Ashulia forced to suspend operations as demonstrations turned violent.
The protests have spread across several industrial areas in recent days, with workers demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000. Clashes have left several people, including law enforcement personnel, injured, while reports have also emerged of factory vandalism, arson and attacks on protesters.
The US-based advocacy organisation Human Rights Watch (HRW) expressed grave concern over the situation, alleging that police used batons and tear gas to disperse thousands of garment workers demanding better wages.
The organisation also highlighted reports of violence by individuals allegedly linked to factory owners and political parties, alongside attacks on factories and police personnel.
“Consistent with international standards, Bangladesh authorities should ensure that police use force only when necessary and proportionate, and that those responsible for violence are held accountable,” HRW said.
The unrest has also raised concerns following the reported death of garment worker Toufiq Hossain, who sustained critical injuries during a clash in Joydebpur, in Gazipur district. He died while receiving treatment at a hospital in Dhaka on November 3.
A co-worker of Hossain told Human Rights Watch that the worker was caught between protesting employees and men allegedly hired by another garment factory to suppress the demonstrations.
“We were returning to the factory (after lunch) when Toufiq got caught between protesting workers and men hired to tackle the protest by another garment factory. When I looked back, I saw Toufiq lying on the ground. The hired men had beaten him brutally,” the co-worker said.
Human Rights Watch also criticised the authorities for allegedly blaming political opposition groups for instigating the demonstrations instead of addressing workers’ demands for living wages.
The organisation cited Dhaka police reports that 33 supporters of the Awami League were arrested on November 3 on suspicion of sabotage. However, other allegations claimed that members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) youth wing had targeted protesting workers.
Rights groups demand justice for injured garment workers
Meanwhile, Justice Makers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) strongly criticised what it described as the brutal repression of garment workers, raising concerns over alleged police violence, arbitrary arrests and attacks reportedly involving BNP members.
The organisation also expressed concern over the filing of criminal cases against thousands of people in connection with the protests.
Citing Bangladeshi media reports and information from its sources, JMBF said that at least one garment worker had been killed, more than 210 people injured and as many as 216 arrested. It further reported that 18 criminal cases had been filed against approximately 19,521 people as of Thursday.
JMBF Founder President Shahanur Islam said garment workers were demanding wages that would allow them to support their families and live with dignity.
“Garment workers are demanding wages that allow them to feed their families and live with dignity. They must not be met with batons, tear gas, arrests, and thousands of criminal accusations. The death of Toufiq Hossain demands justice, not political excuses. No government has the right to turn a legitimate struggle for fair wages into a campaign of fear and repression,” Islam said.
The rights organisations have called for accountability over the reported violence and urged Bangladeshi authorities to respect workers’ rights to peaceful protest and ensure that law enforcement agencies act in accordance with international standards.
