At least 60 people, including 50
garment workers and 10 police personnel, were injured in a
clash between them at Fatullah area in
Narayanganj Sadar upazila on Sunday afternoon.
The clash broke out around 1pm when the workers of Abanti Colour Tex Ltd, an export-oriented factory of Crony Group at BSCIC, were demonstrating demanding salaries for the month of March, which left some vehicles vandilised and 60 people injured.
Earlier around 10.30am, the workers of the factory blocked the Dhaka-Munshiganj regional road with electric pole, sticks and timbers, causing two-kilometre-long tailback.
The agitating workers of Abanti Colour Tex Ltd alleged that the factory was closed on April 8 after work. Though the authorities paid Eid bonus, but salary of month of March is still pending.
"The authorities ensured us to pay the due salary through mobile banking. But later they did not pay which fell them into a financial crisis. For this, they staged demonstration blocking the road," the workers said.
Meanwhile, several other workers said that a notice was attached on the factory gate around 12:00pm which said that the factory will be closed till April 23.
After seeing the notice, workers got furious. As a result, industrial police charged batons and sprayed water to calm them down but failed. Workers then started to throw brick chunks and police later fired teargas shells and rubber bullets.
The situation was still at a standstill till the report was filed with no movement of vehicles.
Assistant Police Super of Industrial Police-4 Aynul Huda said at least 10 law enforcers were injured by bricks thrown at them by the workers.
"Police went on action when workers started to vandalise the vehicles on the road. Police are trying to bring the situation under control," he said.
On the other hand, workers have claimed that they were protesting peacefully when police started to charge baton and shoot at them, leaving at least 50 of them injured. Among them, 20 sufferred bullet injuries.
SA
