At least 50 people, including 10 policemen and three fire-fighters, were injured on Sunday morning when a group of readymade garments (RMG) workers attacked a fire service office, vandalised vehicles, looted valuables and clashed with law enforcers in Savar’s Ulail Bus Stand area. Traffic on the Dhaka-Aricha highway remained suspended till 9 am during the clashes, which continued for over an hour.
Witnesses said a bus carrying RMG workers of Al Muslims Group hit a barricade in front of the local fire service office at 7:30 am. After the on-duty fireman Mehedi Hassan shouted at them, the workers got down from the bus and assaulted Mehedi. Two other firemen, who came to the rescue of Mehedi, were also beaten up.
The agitating workers then entered the office and vandalised the window panes, furniture and vehicles parked inside the fire station.
After workers of Al Muslims Group heard the news, over 2,000 workers rushed to the fire station and again started vandalising the office. The unruly workers also looted a number of computer CPUs and torched a motorcycle and two vehicles parked inside the fire station, said Savar Fire Services Station officer Khan Khalilur Rahman.
The agitated workers then put up a barricade on the Dhaka-Aricha highway. They also vandalised 12 vehicles stranded on the road.
After getting the news, a large contingent of police and industrial police reached the spot at 9 am.
Police fired rubber bullets to disperse the marauding workers. But the workers, divided in several small groups, started pelting stones at them, triggering a fierce clash in which 50 people were injured.
Sensing further trouble, the authorities of Al Muslims Group announced a general holiday on Sunday. A large number of police were deployed at the fire station.
-With The Independent input
