Workers of a garment factory on Saturday clashed with police in Savar while they were staging a demonstration blocking Dhaka-Aricha highway with their demand for due salary.
Police baton-charged and fired tear shells to bring the situation under control.
At least 20 workers were injured in the clash that took place in Ulail area of Savar around 9am with the workers of HR Textile Mills Limited and Fashion Knit Limited factory under pride group.
Talking to some of the garment workers, it is known that the workers were having a problem with the owner over the one month salary arrears. The authorities paid the salaries of the factory official and staff on Friday. Workers were supposed to be paid on Saturday. But the workers went to the factory in the morning and saw a general holiday notice for one day at the gate.
After that, they took a position in front of the factory demanding to speak with the owner. But neither the owner nor any official of the factory came to talk to them.
Later, thousands of workers started to protest in front of the factory.
Around 9am, the police came and asked the workers to move away from the front of the factory.
Later the workers took position on the Dhaka-Aricha highway in front of the factory.
The workers locked into an altercation with the police. At one stage, the police clashed with the workers. At that time, the police dispersed the workers by firing tear shells, rubber bullets.
The clash left at least 20 workers injured, according to the garment workers.
Ashulia Industrial Police-1 Assistant Superintendent of Police Afzal Hossain said that there was no incident of charging with batons and no rubber bullets were fired at the workers.
The workers pelted brickbats at the police on the highway.
So they were dispersed by firing tear shells, said the ASP.
In this regard, President of Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation Rafiqul Islam Sujan said: "For several days, several raw materials including yarn were being removed from the factory to other places. Because of this, the fear of closing the factory was working inside the workers.
Meanwhile, the factory on Friday declared a general holiday for one day on Saturday after paying the salaries of the staff and officials. When the workers wanted to talk to the factory authorities about this, the police baton-charged, leaving 20 workers injured.
