Over 100 Injured As Bangladesh Garment Workers Clash With Police
Asia Pulse via Yahoo!7 News
DHAKA, Oct 2 Asia Pulse – Over 100 people, including police, were injured in a fierce street fight between garment workers and cops at Uttara in the capital Saturday.
Witnesses said traffic on Dhaka-Mymensingh road halted for about three hours due to the widespread clash in a fresh outbreak in the garment industry-this time the sacking of 13 workers igniting the powder keg.
Sources said trouble erupted at about 8 a.m. as some workers of Laxma Sweater factory streamed onto the road shouting slogans over the sacking of 13 colleagues.
“As police charged baton on the demonstrators, they (protestors) beat up the policemen with sticks in instant reprisals,” says a spot account of the duel.
The strike spread with workers from Syntex Garments industry joining in following the retrenchment of four workers there.
Other workers also joined the protest adding demands for pay in arrears and the new minimum wage to the rally.
“Thousands of workers of Syntex, Laxma, Pallab, Boutique, SKS Fashion, NAZ and other factories staged demonstrations from 8 a.m., clashed with police, blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and damaged dozens of vehicles, including six police vans,” said an eye witness report.
The frenzied demonstrators also damaged three shopping complexes and tried to attack Uttara police station.
“The whole area turned into a veritable battlefield during the three-hour clash,” a witness said.
To disperse agitators, police at one stage fired rubber bullets and teargas shells. The situation was brought under control at 11:30 a.m.
The injured were admitted to Bangladesh Medical College Hospital, Uttara IC Hospital and various local clinics.
Police arrested 12 people during the unrest.
Later, garment workers held a protest at the ground near Dada Garment where they demanded removal of the OC of Uttara thana, Kamrul, for his role throughout the riots.
(UNB)
