Law enforcers fire tear shells on the agitating garments workers in Jamgarah area of Ashulia today. Photo: Star
The labour unrest brewed in the industrial belt of Ashulia and Gazipur over salary hike continued for the 15th consecutive day today forcing the authorities to shut at least 70 garment factories.
During today’s unrest, at least 10 workers received minor injuries as they clashed with law enforcers in Ashulia.
A trade union leader has been picked up in Gazipur on suspicion that he might provoke workers to unleash further anarchy.
The workers have been demonstrating from November 5 for a minimum wage of Tk 8,114 instead of Tk 5,300.
Today’s turmoil is also linked to the deaths of their two colleagues in Gazipur during a clash with police yesterday.
The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Rapid Action Battalion personnel, who were deployed in Ashulia and Gazipur yesterday, were seen patrolling along the highway to keep vehicular movement normal, as road block is a common phenomenon for the workers’ protest.
Of the closed factories, at least 50 situated in Gazipur while 20 in Ashulia industrial belt, reports our correspondents.
ASHULIA
Around 3,000 workers of different RMG units located at Jamgarah, Nishchintapur, Narasinghapur, Deron, Unique and Shimultola took to the streets around 9:00am.
The workers tried to put barricade at Jamgarah but were resisted by police, said Ashulia Industrial Police Director Mostafizur Rahman.
As the workers threw brick chips at the law enforcers, police retaliated with bullets and teargas to disperse the agitators, he said.
At least 10 workers took primary treatments from different local clinics.
The authorities of at least 20 garment factories halted production at their units located in the 4-kilometre area beside the Dhaka-Tangail highway, the police official said.
GAZIPUR
Production at minimum 50 RMG units at Konabari, Kashimpur and Zorun were suspended for today following a labour unrest.
Nazrul Islam, an inspector of Gazipur industrial police, said the workers started demonstration at Konabari and Kashimpur around 8:00am, protesting the deaths of two RMG workers during yesterday’s clash with cops.
They also demanded an increase in minimum wage and immediate reopening of the factories, which was shut last month following a labour unrest over salary.
But police resisted the procession, which led to a chases and counter-chases with workers at Konabari and Kashimpur.
The law enforcers later lobbed two teargas canisters to disperse the demonstrators.
Meanwhile, police detained Ziaul Kabir Khokan, president of Bangladesh Garment Workers’ Trade Union, from Borobari last night suspecting that he might instigate the workers to create anarchy in the district, said Kamrunnahar, a sub-inspector of Joydevpur Police Station.
Source: The Daily Star