Bangladesh police clash with outsourcing workers demanding permanent jobs
DHAKA, BANGLADESH — Bangladesh‘s outsourcing workers faced off with law enforcement in Dhaka last Saturday as their protest for job security escalated into confrontation.
Members of the Bangladesh Outsourcing Employees’ Welfare Council blocked roads near the National Press Club, demanding the government convert their temporary positions into permanent roles.
Protest disrupts capital’s traffic
The demonstration began around 3:00 pm when hundreds of outsourcing workers took position on the road in front of the National Press Club, causing severe traffic congestion in Paltan, the Secretariat, and surrounding areas.
The blockade halted vehicular movement from the Paltan intersection to Kadam Fountain via the Press Club. Some protesters lay down or sat on the road as part of their demonstration.
“They have also warned that they will not leave the road until their demand is met,” Dhaka Tribune reported about the protesters’ determination. The demonstrators specifically called for “the regularization of jobs for all employees working under outsourcing projects in government and autonomous institutions.”
Authorities respond with force
After approximately two and a half hours of road blockage, police took action to disperse the crowd. Shahbagh Police Station chief Md Khalid Mansur confirmed that protesters were dispersed around 5:30 pm.
Speaking to The Business Standard, Masud Alam, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Ramna Division), explained the escalation: “Police requested them to clear the busy streets and instead continue their demonstration on the footpath to prevent severe traffic congestion. The protesters were given 10 minutes to leave but refused. Even after repeated warnings via megaphone, they did not comply.”
Police then deployed water cannons and stun grenades to break up the demonstration.
Md Shahabuddin, an assistant programmer at the Election Commission Secretariat who participated in the protest, told bdnews24.com: “Police used rubber bullets, stun grenades, and water cannons to force us away. About 13 or 14 of us were injured by the rubber bullets.”
The police and protesters offered conflicting accounts of the confrontation. While protesters described their demonstration as peaceful, OC Khalid claimed that “protesters threw brickbats at police when the water cannons was used.”
This protest is part of ongoing demonstrations since the fall of the Awami League government, with outsourcing employees consistently pressing for the nationalization of their jobs through various blockades at key locations in Dhaka.
