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Police have arrested 33 people identified as members of the banned Awami League over allegations of carrying out sabotage while posing as garment workers during ongoing labour protests in Dhaka, Gazipur and Savar.
The garment workers have been protesting for nearly a week, demanding that the minimum monthly wage be raised to Tk30,000.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday that the arrests were made over the previous 24 hours. Authorities described the detainees as members of a “banned organisation” but did not immediately disclose their identities.
Fresh clashes also broke out in Mirpur on Tuesday morning, with confrontations taking place beneath the Mirpur-11 Metro Rail station. Police used tear gas and sound grenades to disperse protesters.
The unrest began last Thursday when garment workers blocked roads across Mirpur for nearly six hours before traffic resumed later in the day. The protests intensified over the weekend, spreading from factory premises to major roads.
On Sunday, police said violence escalated as vehicles were vandalised and set on fire during demonstrations, leading to clashes and several detentions.
On Monday, security forces prevented workers from taking to the streets, dispersing protesters in Mirpur-14 and later using tear gas to stop another gathering in Mirpur-2.