A Gazipur court today sent garment workers' union leader Babul Hossain to jail after a 24-hour remand.

His lawyer Sohail Jamil told The Day Star that a bail petition will be filed with the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court of Gazipur today.

Babul, general secretary of Bangladesh Garment Workers Solidarity (BGWS), was picked up from Chandana Chowrasta under the jurisdiction of Basan Police Station in Gazipur on November 14.

Basan Police Station Sub-inspector Saiful Islam produced him before a court in an arson case the next day. "Detectives arrested and handed him over to us," he said.

The case was filed last month, over vandalism and torching vehicles, the SI added.

Meanwhile, BGWS, in a press conference at its office in Dhaka, demanded Babul's immediate release.

Taslima Akter of BGWS said Babul was not in Gazipur at the time the incident took place.

He was arrested to stop the garment workers' movement for higher wages, she alleged.