“Government workers demand ninth pay scale, face police crackdown”

Police utilized water cannon, tear gas, and sound grenades yesterday to disperse government workers who were marching towards the chief adviser’s official residence, Jamuna, demanding the implementation of the ninth pay scale. The demonstration commenced at 10:30 am in Dhaka’s Shahbagh, with protesters attempting to move towards Jamuna. Despite police attempts to block them at various points, the demonstrators persisted and briefly approached Jamuna around 11:00 am before law enforcement intensified their efforts to clear the area. Ziaur Rahman, a college instructor from Rajshahi, emphasized that the sole demand of the protesters was the enforcement of the ninth pay scale, vowing to continue their protest until their demand is met. Initially, the police showed restraint, but eventually resorted to using hot water cannons and sound grenades against the marchers. By 1:00 pm, protesters regrouped at a distance, while leaders of the Inqilab Moncho gathered in front of the InterContinental hotel to continue their demonstration. Heavy police presence was maintained along the road linking the hotel to Jamuna, with the Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam arriving at the scene around 1:15 pm, accompanied by DMP Commissioner Sheikh Md Sajjat Ali and other senior officials overseeing the situation.