More than 100 garment factories in Ashulia, Dhaka, declared holidays on Thursday amid workers' protests demanding a minimum monthly wage of Tk 30,000.
At least one worker was injured when outsiders protesting at Taharat Composite Ltd in the Zirabo Pukurpar area hurled bricks and stones into the factory premises while pressuring the authorities to declare a holiday. Police later dispersed the protesters by firing tear gas shells.
Industrial police said a group of outsiders gathered in front of Taharat Composite Ltd around 2:30pm and pressured the factory authorities to shut the facility. At one point, they threw bricks and stones into the factory, injuring Md Sajib Hasan, a junior quality inspector in its quality department.
He sustained a head injury and was taken to a local city hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, police chased protesters who had gathered outside the factory and dispersed them by firing tear gas shells.
Speaking around 6pm, Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan of Ashulia Industrial Police-1 said workers did not return to their workplaces after the lunch break as Friday is a weekly holiday.
Consequently, the authorities of the affected factories declared holidays, he said, adding that more than 100 factories in the industrial area had announced holidays from morning until afternoon.