At least 20 readymade garment (RMG) factory workers were injured in a clash with law enforcement personnel in Ashulia when police tried to stop a procession brought out by workers in support of their demand for a minimum monthly wage of Tk. 8,000.
A general holiday was announced in five factories in the face of strong protests.
Sources said agitated apparel factory workers of Novel Comfort Composite Ltd in Kathgora area of Ashulia got angry when they arrived at their workplace in the morning, but saw a notice saying that the factory was closed.
Irate workers took to the streets and called on workers of several adjacent factories, including Ajmot Group, Deko Group, Comfort Composite Ltd and Cross Ware Ltd, who joined the protests. They hurled brickbats at the nearby factories, sparking panic in the area.
At one point, workers of several factories gathered on Bishmail-Zirabo Road and blocked the road, causing vehicular movement to be suspended for hours.
On receiving information, the police arrived at the spot and fired rubber bullets, burst teargas shells and charged batons to disperse the workers. The ensuing clash left at least 20 workers wounded.
Police sources said the clash erupted when law enforcers tried to thwart the procession brought out by irate garments workers to realise their demand.
Additional police forces were deployed and patrolling with water cannons carried out in the area to prevent any untoward incident.
Gazipur correspondent adds: Workers of different RMG factories staged demonstrations again in Gazipur as the authorities kept the factories shut. They also blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail highways and hurled brickbats at vehicles.
The authorities of at least 10 apparel factories at Joydevpur Chowrasta suspended production as violence erupted, with the workers demanding minimum wages of Tk. 8,000. However, the production of other factories in Gazipur was normal.
Jakir Hossain, inspector of Gazipur Industrial Police, said workers of Pandora sweaters factory and Joint Global Merchant garments factory staged a demonstration on Saturday morning demanding that the closed factories be reopened. Workers from Coast to Coast and SQ sweater factories of an adjacent area joined them. They hurled brickbats at vehicles and tried to set up barricades on the Dhaka-Tangail highway, suspending vehicular movement on the highway for half an hour.
On receiving information, the police rushed to the spot and chased the workers away. They brought the situation under control by bursting teargas canisters.
Again, workers of Adib Sweater and Hatim Sweater at MC Bazar area under Sripur upazila organised a demonstration on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway demanding minimum wages of Tk. 8,000.
Officer-in-charge of Mawna highway police station, Mohammed Sanowar Hossain, said the police brought the situation under control at around 9.30 am.
However, Gazipur deputy commissioner Mohammed Nurul Islam said three more platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel were deployed in the areas with garments factories on Saturday morning. They carried out patrols along with three other platoons of BGB personnel, who had been deployed last Thursday.
He also added that a huge number of law enforcement personnel, including Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police personnel, has been deployed in the areas to preclude any untoward incident.
-With The Independent input
