The protests of Bangladeshi garment workers demanding higher wages were broken up as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets. The authorities also detained union leaders as well as some workers who smashed vehicles and pelted police with stones to show solidarity with their colleagues on strike. Mohammad Atiqul Islam, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), told the press that almost half the workers had agreed to its offer to pay two-month of back wages this week. Under the offer, the Tuba Group would pay the rest of the salaries and a bonus at a later date. Union leader Moshrefa Mishu, however, said the workers still rejected the deal. Police arrested Mishu along with two other leaders of 1,500 garment workers who have been calling for back pay and a holiday bonus.
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