A protest by Bangladesh government employees demanding implementation of the ninth-scale national pay erupted outside Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus‘s official residence, Jamuna, in Dhaka Thursday, prompting police action that included the use of water cannons, tear gas and sound grenades.
The protesters, under the banner of Inqilab Moncho, began marching from Shahbagh towards Jamuna around 10.30 am local time. Police attempted to stop the march at multiple points, but tensions escalated as demonstrators tried to break through barricades set up along the route.
According to officials, security forces resorted to water cannons, tear gas shells and sound grenades to disperse the crowd when protesters pressed forward. Despite the resistance, demonstrators briefly reached Jamuna shortly after 11.00 am, before security was tightened and the area was cleared.
The protesters later regrouped near the InterContinental Dhaka around 1.00 pm, where leaders of Inqilab Moncho continued the demonstration. Police deployed additional personnel along roads connecting the hotel area to Jamuna to prevent further attempts to reach the chief adviser’s residence.
The developments were reported by The Daily Star, which said security remained in place in central Dhaka as the protest continued in a limited form.
Many senior officials were reportedly present at the location to oversee the situation. Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam and DMP Commissioner Sheikh Md Sajjat Ali were seen around 1.15 pm at the location.
Why are they protesting?
The protesters were demanding current interim government implement a new pay scale via a gazette notification, based on the recently submitted Pay Commission report. The Dhaka Tribune reported that the concern was that if the decision is left to a future elected government, the implementation will be further delayed or postponed.
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What is the Bangladesh 9th National Pay Scale?
The 9th National Pay Scale is the proposed new salary structure for government employees in Bangladesh, intended to replace the previous 2015 (8th) pay scale. The scale has been formally recommended by the 9th National Pay Commission, but it has not yet been implemented.
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