Clashes erupt outside Yunus's residence ahead of Bangladesh elections
What's the story
Violent clashes have erupted outside Muhammad Yunus's house in Dhaka ahead of Bangladesh elections on February 12. According to the Dhaka Tribune, government officials and employees staged a protest outside the official residence, Jamuna, demanding the announcement of the ninth national pay scale. The protest continued as they broke through a police barricade at Shahbagh around 11:30am and reached Jamuna, where they started their demonstration.
Protest escalation
Police used water cannons to disperse crowd
Initially, the police used water cannons to disperse the crowd at Shahbagh. However, despite this attempt, the protesters continued their march toward Jamuna. Once they reached Jamuna and started their demonstration, police officials tried to remove them by holding several rounds of talks with the demonstrators. When these talks failed and protesters refused to leave, law enforcement resorted to baton charges and fired tear gas canisters to disperse them.
Pay scale demand
Protesters demand immediate announcement of new pay scale
The protesters have demanded that the current government announce the new pay scale immediately. They argued that since the pay commission has submitted its full report, the new scale can be implemented through a gazette notification. The demonstrators expressed concern that implementation might be delayed if an elected government comes to power.