Apparel workers blocked New Airport Road at Joar Sahara of the capital yesterday morning demanding lunch allowance and other benefits.
Some 10 protesters sustained injuries as police baton-charged the crowd and fired rubber bullets and tear gas canisters during running battles with the garment workers.
Nearly a thousand workers of several garment factories blocked the road around 9:00am causing huge traffic congestion in the morning rush hours, said Mohammad Ali, officer-in-charge of Bhatara Police Station.
Workers of a factory of the Nassa Group at Joar Sahara began the demonstration in front of Radisson Hotel.The protest then spread to nearby Shewra Bazar area as workers of adjoining factories joined the agitating workers, the OC said.
A worker of the factory of the Nassa Group told The Daily Star that workers of other factories of the group were getting lunch allowance but they were being deprived of it.
The workers have long been demanding lunch allowance and some other benefits, including Eid bonus for those who have worked at least for six months at the garment unit.
Contacted, an official of the Nassa Group said the authorities had accepted workers’ demands.
Several workers of James Design Ltd and Euro Zone Fashion said workers from the Nassa Group’s unit had hurled stones at their factories.
Some workers from these two factories also joined the protest.
Police first urged the agitating workers to clear the busy road but they did not pay heed to the law enforcers, said Khandker Lutful Kabir, deputy commissioner of Gulshan Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
Police then baton-charged them and hurled several tear gas shells to disperse the agitators, he added.
One of the injured was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital while several others were taking treatment at local hospitals, said a worker, who had taken part in the demonstration.
Source: The Daily Star