Student and Mass Uprising, Fall of the Autocratic Government and Casualties in the struggle
Movement start: June 5, 2024, Monday
- Total deaths: 560 people (from July 16 to August 7, 2024)
- Total injured: Approximately 150,000 according to various newspapers and TV (accurate data on injuries is not yet available)
Among them, worker deaths/casualties:
- Garment workers: 11
- Shop, hotel, sales center, etc. workers: 36
- Day labourers and similar workers: 17
- Car, truck, rickshaw-van workers: 21
- Small business owners and hawkers: 16
- Car, truck, rickshaw-van drivers and assistants: 13
- Children killed: 32
Identity of the killed: Yamin Chowdhury, a garment worker from Badda; Md. Rasel, a worker from Narayanganj; Md Zaman Mia, a garment worker from Mymensingh; Shubho Sheel, a garment worker from Savar; Zakir Hossain, a production manager of a garment factory in Kapasia, Gazipur, were killed by gunfire. Among them, four were shot on July 19, and Shubho Sheel was shot on July 20. Later, four died while under treatment at Dhaka Medical, and Shubho Sheel died at Enam Medical College Hospital in Savar.
The National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) officially supported the struggle from the beginning. Unfortunately, during this time, the National Garment Workers Federation suffered significant losses:
- Federation members killed: 5
- Injured: More than 50
- Arrested: More than 100
Among them, Zakir Hossain, Joint General Secretary of the Federation’s Mohammadpur Regional Embroidery Committee, and active organizers Md. Sohel, Nayim Hossain, Nazmul Hossain, and Shubho Sheel were killed by police gunfire. Central Office Secretary Md. Riyad Hossain and Samir Hossain were injured.
A large portion of the deceased are workers: Analysis of the data of the deceased shows that a large portion of them are workers, small business owners, shop employees, drivers, labourers, and low-income people.
Demands to the interim government of 4.2 million RMG and other workers:
1. Immediate justice for the killings of 11 garment workers, including 5 members of the National Garment Workers Federation, shop and retail workers, and all workers. Ensure punishment for those responsible for mass killings.
2. Ensure necessary and advanced medical treatment for all injured garment workers, including 50 injured members of the Federation.
3. Immediately release, without conditions, all arrested garment workers, including hundreds from the Federation.
4. Arrange proper compensation for the families of killed and injured garment workers.
5. Immediately increase the wages set for garment workers and change the term “minimum wage” to “living wage” or “decent wage” with legal basis.
6. Immediately announce a national minimum wage applicable and acceptable for all sectors across the country.
7. Immediately introduce a rationing system for 4.2 million garment workers.
8. The separate law prevailing in EPZs is against the main constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and ILO Conventions 87 and 98. Therefore, immediately abolish the separate law for EPZs and bring EPZs under the country’s existing labour law – where workers will have the right to express opinions, organize, and bargain.
9. Reform the current labour laws and Labour Rules in Bangladesh in light of ILO Conventions 87 and 98.
10. Remove all legal, garment management, and social barriers to forming trade unions and conducting trade union activities in Bangladesh’s garment sector.
11. Ensure equal rights, equal wages, and equal rights in family, state, society, and workplace for women workers.
For justice of the 5 killed NGWF members we need your support for those killed, treatment of injured and bail those still in the prison. NGWF already started campaign for these demands from Ashulia on 11th August 2024. We urgently need your support to make this campaign effective.