Garment workers and police on Saturday clashed yet again at the capital’s outskirt Ashulia and neighbouring district Gazipur, leaving 40 injured and forcing authorities of several factories in the areas to suspend production.
Clashes at Kathgorah in Ashulia left at least 20 people injured while movement of vehicles on the roads in the area remained suspended as the workers put blockades and staged demonstrations.
Witnesses said workers at Complete Composite Ltd were angered after finding their factory locked from the outside around 8am in the morning. At first they agitated in front of the factory and later took to streets.
In the wake of agitations, authorities of nearby Radient, Southern, Azmat Group and some other factories closed down production, fuelling further agitations.
Later, as police attempted to remove the barricades on the Bishmile-Zirabo Road, chases, counter chases and clashes took place. Police lobbed teargas canisters and charged batons while the workers pelted stones and brick chips.
However, Mostafizur Rahman, a director of Industrial Police, said the situation was under control.
Similarly in Gazipur, workers put barricades on the roads at Itahata and clashed with police, forcing several factories shut.
The workers of SQ Celsius Ltd first started agitations around 9am inside the factory and later put blockades on Dhaka-Tangail Highway.
They swooped on the nearby factory of Coast to Coast Group, asking the workers to join in. Police rushed to the spot and took action which lead to a clash.
The hour-long confrontation, left at least 20 people injured as police fired rubber bullets, and teargas canisters.
Garment factory workers have been over the last week, demanding Tk8000 as their minimum wage.
