Bangladesh: the Yunus government also murders workers
Featured image: workers blocking the roads in Baipail, Ashulia, on October 1. Source: The Business Standard
On Monday 30th of September a workers protest was harshly repressed by the Yunus government in Bangladesh, murdering one worker and injured 30 more. The garment workers of Ashulia industrial zone have been protesting for several days at the end of September. They protest against the factories owners since they detained and assaulted protesters after they demanded a hike in wage. The workers also stated that two workers had gone missing the previous day. Another problem the workers are facing is the non-payments by the factory owners and closures of factories without paying the debts to the workers. Similar protests have been carried out in Gazipur, creating a blockade in the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.
On September 30, the protests have grown and more workers from many factories joined the mobilization. Bureaucratic-big landlord press stated that a clash erupted between workers, but most likely it was a clash between striking workers and thugs hired by the owners to restore the order. The police intervened and expressed very clear that even with a new government opposed to the previous one, the interests it serves are still the interests of the ruling classes and imperialism. They started to shot tear gasses and live ammunition against the workers, resulting in the murder of one worker and other four being injured. The workers responded by clashing with the police and destroying five police vehicles and 11 police officers were injured. This murder has not prevented the workers to continue demonstrating and they maintained the protest until Wednesday, blocking the roads of the entire area for 53 hours in a row.
Many democratic organizations have protested and carried out actions against the murder by the government of this worker. On October 1, the Revolutionary Workers Movement issued a statement, condemning the repression, unmasking the anti-people’s character of the Yunus government: “On the other hand, the problem of workers is solved by shooting. That move is like the defeated Hasina-Awami fascism. Both governments resorted to extreme measures like killing, caning, firing, tear-gas shells to suppress the working class movement. This government is also using law and order forces against the people. (…) The workers movement of the whole country is being repressed by the operation of the joint forces.” As well they have called for a revolution to overthrow this government: “With the aim of liberating all the oppressed people, including workers-peasants-women-tribals, we call for accelerating the new democratic revolution with the aim of socialism-communism with the ideals of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.”
On October 2, the Democratic Rights Committee also issued a statement where they condemned the repression and denounced how the new government is just serving the interests of the factory owners and not the interests of the workers: “After the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, the garment workers started a movement to open the closed factories, demand dues and wages. We have come to know that several factories have been closed indefinitely by the authorities for several days, withholding of dues and service benefits, retrenchment and lay offs. Last September 30th, the payment of dues to the workers of Birds Group was delayed. The authorities want another three months behind this date.” They reveal how there was no violence from the workers with no reason, as the local bureaucratic-big landlord press claims, but what actually happened was: “At this time, the members of the joint forces including the police on duty tried to calm the workers down. At one point the members of law and order forces started a baton charge. A laborer was killed by joint forces firing bullets at workers’ protest.” And they unmask Muhammad Yunnus very clearly: “We note with astonishment that recently the Chief Adviser [Muhammad Yunus] has termed the labor movement as terrorist activity and is taking various steps to suppress the labor movement while ignoring the realistic demands of the workers. (…) Rather, they have taken an anti-worker stance by killing workers and calling labor movements terrorist activities.” This has been confirmed by Yunus himself in a recent interview, where he has clearly stated which is his role: “To bring law and order to the country.”
Additionally the Revolutionary Workers’ Movement has continued denouncing what occurred by putting up posters in Chittagong:
