An agitation by readymade garment (RMG) workers to demand outstanding wages and Eid bonus turned violent, resulting in injuries to 30 workers in a clash with police in Ashulia on Thursday. Also, the workers of three factories at Tongi, Gazipur, staged a demonstration to demand Eid bonus and to protest alleged sexual harassment of female workers by a general manger. In Ashulia, the workers of Liberty Fashion took to the street around 8 am, demanding unpaid wages for the last three months. OC (Ashulia police station) Badrul Alam said the protesters blocked the Kaliakoir-Nabinagar road by burning logs. Traffic was disrupted for an hour from 8.30 am, the OC added.
Inspector of Industrial Police-1 (Ashulia Zone), Abdus Sattar, said the workers were supposed to get their dues on Thursday. The workers, however, became angry when they found the factory closed. A notice had been put up on the main gate, saying that wages would be paid on Sunday.
This enraged the workers, who then hit the street. The police tried to pacify the workers, but failed. The police charged with batons and the agitated workers threw brick bats at the law enforcers. A chase and counter-chase took place when the police fired rubber bullets and tear-gas shells to bring the situation under control. The workers also vandalised several vehicles during the clash, witnesses said.
Additional police and RAB personnel were deployed in the area.
Later, the Liberty Fashion management declared that the factory would remain closed till Sunday.
In Gazipur, RMG workers of Vealatex Group staged demonstrations, demanding Eid bonus and product benefit, and protesting alleged sexual harassment of female workers by the factory general manager. They also broke some glasses of a factory at Shataish in Tongi.
-With The Independent input
