Police on Sunday removed a group of protesting Tathya Apa workers from the Kakarail Mosque intersection in Dhaka, placing them in a prison van.
Authorities later clarified that the women were neither arrested nor detained but were simply removed from the location.
The Tathya Apa workers, who are part of a government-run project under the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, had been demonstrating since Wednesday near the National Press Club.
On Sunday around 4 PM, police were seen forcibly placing them into the van.
According to a senior officer from the Ramna zone, the protesters had been asked to leave earlier but refused.
“They were not arrested or detained—just relocated. They will be released,” said the official. Another officer mentioned that the move was intended as a deterrent after initial warnings went unheeded.
Earlier that day, around 10:30 AM, the Tathya Apa workers began a march from the Press Club area toward the Prime Advisor`s residence, Jamuna.
Despite overcoming an initial police blockade, they were again stopped at Kakarail, where a standoff occurred. Eyewitnesses reported scuffles and a brief baton charge by police.
Ramna Division Deputy Commissioner Masud Alam stated that a delegation from the protesters had been allowed to proceed to submit a memorandum to the Prime Advisor.
“The rest stayed on the roadside without disrupting traffic,” he said at the time.
However, after the delegation returned and the protesters continued their sit-in, police removed the group from the street.
The Tathya Apa project workers are demanding two key concessions: creation of regular government positions for all project staff and transfer of their posts to the revenue budget, along with the immediate disbursement of withheld salaries and allowances.
According to the demonstrators, nearly 2,000 women currently work at the grassroots level under this project, which is set to expire at the end of the current month. They have been calling for a permanent employment solution.
