50 injured, 100 vehicles damaged: Garment workers stage violent clash at Kuril
The New Nation, Bangladesh
By Staff Reporter
Mon, 14 Aug 2014, 11:24:00
Fifty persons were injured and 100 vehicles damaged as angry garments workers clashed with police at Kuril Biswa Road in the city yesterday.The violence sparked after police charged baton on the garment workers who blockaded Kuril-Biswa road crossing Monday to realize their pay and perks.
Hundreds of vehicles remained stranded on Airport-Mohakhali road and Kuril-Biswa road for over four hours to 1pm amid the raging violence, crippling traffic to and from the capital on the main northern route, police and witnesses said.
Policemen, garment workers and pedestrians are among those injured in the clashes and rampage—a reminder of a massive violence in garment industries in and around the capital in recent times.
Around 7,000 workers of Sunset, Eden and Kenya garment factories of the area have long urged the owners of the factories to fulfil their demands that include a pay rise, overtime bill and toilet for female workers. But, the protestors alleged that the owners did not pay heed to their demands.
As the employees of the factories were not paid their salary of the previous month till Monday, they got agitated and came out of the factories. They put barricades on the road at about 8.30am, disrupting traffic.
Police went to the spot at 9.30 am but failed to remove the roadblocks because of violent demonstrations. A number of vehicles were damaged at the time.
“The workers locked into a clash with the police when additional forces rushed to the scene at 10.30 am and lobbed teargas shells to disperse the agitators,†says a spot account of the scenes of the labour unrest.
The police action only added fuel to the fire, as the workers got furious and went on vandalism damaging around 100 vehicles.
In the last resort, the cops started indiscriminate baton charge, compelling them to put off blockade about 12.30pm. At least 50 people were injured at the time.
Traffic movement on the busy road returned to normal after 1pm.
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