Police use batons, sound grenades on govt workers protesting in front of Jamuna

Police have fired tear gas and sound grenades at government employees who were protesting in front of the State Guest House Jamuna, the official residence of the Chief Advisor, to demand the publication and implementation of the 9th pay scale gazette in light of the National Pay Commission’s report.

The protesters crossed three police barriers from the Central Shaheed Minar and took up positions in front of the Jamuna around 11:30am on Friday, said Md Masud Alam, deputy commissioner of the police’s Ramna Division.

Police then lobbed sound grenades and tear gas shells at protesters. A section of the protesters then retreated towards the InterContinental Dhaka hotel intersection. However, another section of the protesters held their ground in front of the Jamuna.

At one point, senior police officials, including Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner SM Sazzat Ali attempted to persuade the protesters to leave the area, but they refused to leave.

Around 12:30pm, the police took the offensive, turning the area in front of the chief advisor’s residence into a battlefield. The law enforcers charged at the protesters with batons while lobbing sound grenades and tear gas to disperse them.

As of 1pm, the protesters had retreated and taken up positions near the InterContinental Dhaka intersection. Police have barricaded both sides of the road, and additional personnel have been deployed.

The protest has blocked the road from Shahbagh to Farmgate. Police officials are speaking to the protesters, urging them to shift their demonstration back to the Central Shaheed Minar.

But protesters have continued to block the road and shout slogans. They demand the implementation of the new pay scale before the election.

DMP chief Sazzat told the media, “Rallies, protests, and mass gatherings are banned in this area. No one is allowed in this area. Entering the area is a crime. That is why we dispatched them. They came here by breaching the barriers. We will not allow them to take up positions here.

The Inqilab Moncho had taken up positions in front of the Jamuna on Thursday evening to demand justice for the killing of their convenor Sharif Osman Hadi. The organisation has also called a protest in front of the InterContinental Dhaka after Jummah prayers on Friday.

Several hundred government employees had gathered at the Shaheed Minar in the morning under the banner of the Government Employees' Demands Unity Council to demand the publication and implementation of the 9th pay scale gazette. From there, they marched towards the Jamuna as part of a “hunger procession” carrying bowls.

They took up positions in front of the Jamuna after breaking three police barricades in front of Shahbagh Police Station, in front of the InterContinental, and at the entrance to the Jamuna on Mintu Road.

The protesters said that they would continue their sit-in demonstration until their demands were met.