50 hurt as RMG workers clash with cops in Ashulia

At least 50 people including policemen were injured when demonstrating workers of a garment factory clashed with law enforcers in Ashulia on Monday.

The agitating workers of Fashion Knit, who were protesting termination of their fellow workers, blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway for one and a half hours from 8:30am and vandalised at least 10 vehicles.

At least 10 garment factories adjacent to Fashion Knit were declared closed for the day, fearing vandalism.

Moktar Hossain, deputy director of Industrial Police, said around 1,800 workers of the factory located at Jamgarah went on work abstention on Sunday demanding immediate removal of the company’s administrative officer and accountant.

The workers alleged that the two officials used to misbehave with them without any reason, the police official said.

But the authorities on the same day informed the workers that they would not remove the two officials from their posts, he said.

Witnesses said the workers went to the factory Monday morning and became agitated after they saw a termination list of 102 coworkers hanging in front of the main gate.

The workers vandalised the furniture and machineries and set fire to the generator room of the factory.

At one stage, they took to the streets, blocked the highway and vandalised the vehicles around 8:30am, ignoring police resistance.

When the law enforcers charged truncheons on the demonstrating workers, they threw brick chips on them triggering a clash.

At least 50 workers and security guards of the factory and law enforcers were injured during the clash, police said.

The workers damaged at a number of garment factories at Jamgarah during clash, forcing the authorities to shut down at least 10 factories.

Police however dispersed the workers and managed to clear the highway around 10:00am.

Source: The Daily Star