Clashes in Mirpur Halt Two Metro Stations; Garment Unrest Shuts 679 Factories Across Bangladesh

Garment workers in Dhaka’s Mirpur area blocked roads for a third consecutive day on Tuesday to push for a minimum wage hike. Demonstrators gathered near Mirpur-11 around 10:15 AM, disrupting vehicular traffic on nearby routes. Clashes erupted soon after, with police deploying tear gas and sound grenades to disperse the crowds while protesters responded with stones and set fire to bamboo and scrap wood beneath the metro pillars.

Citing commuter safety, the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) closed the gates of both Mirpur-10 and Mirpur-11 metro stations from 11:50 AM. Officials noted that while trains continue to operate along the full Uttara–Motijheel route, services are temporarily skipping these two stations without taking or dropping off passengers.

The disruption in the capital mirrors wider worker unrest across key industrial belts, where unions and laborers are demanding a monthly minimum wage of 30,000 taka. According to data released by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), 679 out of 2,134 apparel factories across five industrial zones were forced to shut, sending around 1.68 million workers home without shifts.

The closures hit the outskirts of the capital hardest. In the Gazipur and Mymensingh belts, 382 out of 836 units suspended work, while 223 out of 441 facilities closed in the Savar, Ashulia, and Zirani areas. In Mirpur itself, 55 out of 320 factories saw walkouts affecting over 53,000 workers. Narayanganj reported nine closures out of 199 plants, while all 340 factories in the Chattogram region operated without interruption.