Staff Correspondent

The government has ordered to launch a joint operation starting from tonight involving army, police, and industrial police to tackle unrest in garment sector at Savar, Ashulia, and Gazipur.

The decision follows a meeting between Home Affairs Advisor, Lieutenant General (retd.) Mohammad Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, and representatives from Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) held at the Secretariat in the afternoon.

BGMEA President Khandaker Rafiqul Islam confirmed the development to the press, stating, “We have specifically requested that no harassment be directed at workers or their leaders.”

BGMEA Senior Vice President Abdullah Al Raqib added that the current unrest is being fueled by a particular group. According to Raqib, these individuals, dressed in traditional lungis and helmets, have been mingling with workers to incite disturbances and vandalize factories.

The Home Affairs Advisor has instructed that this group and others involved in provoking unrest and engaging in vandalism, even if they are not workers, be targeted in the operation, he added.