Ready-made garment (RMG) factory workers yesterday blocked a road near Kamalapur Railway Station for nearly five hours protesting the death of a RMG worker in road accident on Monday.
The demonstration started at 9am in the morning halting movement of all kinds of vehicles on the road leading to Noterdem college and Toynobi Circular.
The agitated workers demanded compensation be paid to the members of the deceased and injured workers.
The workers vandalized half a dozen vehicles during the demonstration.
A bus of Balaka Transport hit Olio Apparels Limited's worker Aklima Akther, 30, at 8.45pm on Monday leaving her dead on the spot. Three other workers – Rehana Begum, 27, Hazera Begum, 30, and Jashim, 28 also received injuries.
The bus driver was arrested soon after the incident and police also seized the bus.
Workers of the nearby garment factories came out on to the street as they came to know about the news at 8.30am yesterday.
Hundreds of workers from Drive Star Garment of Arambagh area, Ipu Garment and Olio Garment of Jonaki Cinema hall area of Kamlapur joined the demonstration.
Aklima, a worker of Oli garment, owned by Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Salam Murshidi, said appropriate compensations should be paid to the family members of the deceased and injured workers.
A huge number of police men were deployed in the area to avert any untoward incidents.
The situation turned normal around 1:45pm after BGMEA Additional Secretary Mansur Khaled, Olio Garment In-Charge Kazi Taslim along with Motijheel Division Deputy Commissioner Anowar Hossain assured them of proper compensation.
Kazi Taslim announced that Olio Garment would pay Tk2,00000 as compensation to the family of the deceased and bear the treatment cost of the injured workers.
The BGMEA also declared that it would pay Tk50,000 to complete the burial of the deceased.
Anowar Hossain, deputy commissioner of police of Motijheel division, told the Dhaka Tribune that they freed the road after they had a discussion with the workers.
