Amid escalating violent protests, highway blockades, and clashes with law enforcement demanding a minimum monthly wage of BDT 30,000, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman convened an emergency high-level meeting with key cabinet members on Sunday evening (November 1, 2026). The strategic assessment meeting took place at the Cabinet Division conference room in the Bangladesh Secretariat.
Earlier in the day, garment workers staged intense demonstrations across major industrial hubs, including Mirpur in Dhaka, Kaliakair in Gazipur, Savar, and Ashulia. To prevent further violence and safeguard factory infrastructure, authorities were forced to declare a holiday across at least 300 garment units in these zones.
Sabotage Allegations and Mass Arrests
Law enforcement agencies confirmed that operatives linked to the banned Awami League and its affiliate organizations actively infiltrated the labor demonstrations to incite violence. In Gazipur's Kaliakair, Sajmul Islam, Organizational Secretary of the Jagannath University unit of Chhatra League, was identified leading a violent march—photographs of which circulated widely on social media. Consequently, security forces arrested 9 individuals linked to Awami League, Sramik League, and Chhatra League in Kaliakair, and 11 others in Mirpur.
Highway Blockades, Metro Rail Disruption, and Arson
Gazipur & Highway Disruption: Protesters blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway starting around 9:00 AM, paralyzing vehicular movement for nearly six hours before police restored traffic around 3:00 PM.
Mirpur Clashes & Metro Shutdown: In Mirpur, violent clashes erupted between police and protesters from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Agitators set fire to a parked police vehicle underneath the Mirpur 11 Metro Station. Due to safety risks, train operations at Mirpur 10, Mirpur 11, and Pallabi metro stations were suspended from 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM.
High-Level Secretariat Meeting & Policy Responses
The emergency review session chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was attended by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmad, Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury, State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam, Prime Minister's Advisor Mahdi Amin, and Chief Coordinator of Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal Shamshur Rahman Shimul Biswas.
Earlier in the afternoon, Labour Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury met the Prime Minister to brief him on the evolving situation. Given the intensity of the RMG crisis, the Labour Minister cancelled his scheduled official visit to the United Arab Emirates.
During a morning press briefing at the Secretariat, Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury officially announced the constitution of a new Minimum Wage Board to review garment workers' pay structure. The Minister appealed to the striking workers to refrain from causing public distress and return to their workplaces immediately.
Sylhetview24/RiK/SD
