Grameenphone Workers Protest for Rights and Reinstatement
On Tuesday, February 25, around three hundred former employees of Grameenphone gathered in front of GP House in Dhaka to stage a protest against their illegal dismissal and demand the reinstatement of sacked workers. The protest, organized by the "Dismissed and Denied Grameenphone Workers Unity Council," also called for a five percent delay penalty on the profits of the employees who were fired.
The demonstration, which began at 10 AM in the Bashundhara residential area, was part of the ongoing movement for the workers' rights. Protesters raised various slogans, including "One demand, one demand, give us five percent profit," "We want exemplary punishment for guilty GP management," "Beware of management's brokers," "Grameenphone's brokers, beware," "If dues aren't paid, you won't have skin left on your back," and "Justice, justice, we want justice."
To control the situation, a large number of police were deployed at the site. At one point, water cannons were used to disperse the crowd.
The protest was initially scheduled to end by 5 PM, but at around 4 PM, a violent clash broke out, resulting in injuries to several protesters, including the movement’s convener Abu Sadat Mohammad Shoaib. Three women and eight men involved in the protest were also detained and taken into police vans. The arrested individuals were identified as Suman, Meherul, Zahidur, and Prince, though their full details remain unknown.
In response to the incident, the Dismissed and Denied Grameenphone Workers Unity Council condemned the actions of the Grameenphone authorities. A statement released by the group said, "Instead of being sympathetic to the workers' legitimate demands, Grameenphone authorities have chosen the path of repression, which is completely unacceptable. We demand the immediate release of the arrested protesters and proper medical treatment for the injured. We also urge the aware citizens of the country to raise their voices against this undemocratic and repressive behavior of Grameenphone authorities."
