Activists allegedly linked to the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League and the Awami League's Jubo League have reportedly become involved in the ongoing garment workers' protests demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000. According to sources familiar with the situation, several politically affiliated individuals have been active on the ground, allegedly seeking to create unrest by exploiting the workers' wage demands. A reliable source said 10 activists linked to the Awami League and Chhatra League had already been detained in connection with the protests.
According to the source, those detained are Moazzem Shahriar Niaz, 26; Md Arif Akand, 29; Md Oliullah Anik, 20; Md Mahim Molla, 19; Md Ramzan Sarker, 18; Md Kamal Gazi, 32; Alif Hossain Imon, 26; Md Nahid Hasan, 20; and Md Arif, 20. The list provided contains Md Kamal Gazi's name twice, although the source claims that 10 people were detained.
Sources further claimed that several other individuals associated with the Chhatra League and Jubo League had also participated in various protest programmes. Their alleged involvement, however, could not be independently verified, and comments from the individuals concerned were not immediately available.
Meanwhile, social media activity has drawn attention to the alleged involvement of some former office-bearers of the Chhatra League in the demonstrations.
Among them is Sajibul Islam, an organisational secretary of the Chhatra League at Jagannath University, who has reportedly shared photographs and videos from the protest sites on his Facebook account.
In a post published at 2:17pm on Sunday, he wrote: "The Bangladesh Awami League will not come to power by relying on anyone else. We will announce programmes with the strength of the people behind us."
Earlier that day, he shared several other videos and posts at 12:51pm, 1:26pm and 10:06am, highlighting the ongoing workers' movement.
In one post, he wrote: "The workers' movement demanding an increase in wages to Tk 30,000 is continuing for the fourth consecutive day."
At 6:24pm on Saturday, he also shared a video showing a fire being lit, accompanied by the slogan: "Give us a salary of Tk 30,000, or leave your seats of power."
However, these social media posts alone do not establish his involvement in any criminal activity or prove that he played a role in inciting violence. The matter requires further investigation.
Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Joint Commissioner Mahidul Islam said that an anti-government or anti-state group might be attempting to exploit the workers' movement to deteriorate the law and order situation.
He said a wage board had been formed to determine workers' minimum wages and that efforts were underway to resolve the issue through the established process.
"Even after explaining the matter to the workers, they did not leave the roads. We believe that an anti-government or anti-state group may have joined the protesters in an attempt to worsen the situation," he said.
For the past four days, garment workers have been staging demonstrations in several industrial areas, including the capital, demanding higher wages.
In Mirpur, clashes broke out between protesters and police, followed by vandalism and the setting of a police vehicle on fire. Following the clashes, train services at Mirpur-10, Mirpur-11 and Pallabi metro rail stations were temporarily suspended as a security precaution.
In Kaliakair, Gazipur, workers also staged demonstrations demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000. Protesters blocked the Dhaka-Tangail Highway and reportedly set fires on the road. Allegations of vandalism involving banks, vehicles and shops were also reported. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel were deployed in the area to help bring the situation under control.
Sources within the law enforcement agencies said the authorities were closely monitoring the involvement of politically affiliated individuals in the workers' movement, as well as incidents of violence in different areas. Investigations into the detained individuals are reportedly underway to establish the validity of the allegations against them.
The ongoing protests have brought renewed attention to the garment workers' demand for a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000, alongside allegations of political involvement and attempts to destabilise the situation.
Establishing the facts through impartial investigations while ensuring a peaceful resolution of the workers' legitimate demands remains a key challenge for the authorities.