Police yesterday drove Tuba Group workers out of their factory where they had been on an indefinite hunger strike for the last 11 days demanding their overdue wages and Eid bonus.
Police used rubber bullets, teargas canisters and water canon to disperse the agitating workers on the factory premises in the capital.
Around 30 workers including photojournalists of different media houses sustained injuries in the police assault. Agitating workers in retaliation vandalised at least 20 vehicles on the road in front of the factory.
The clash has suspended all traffic movement in the area for one and a half hours from 12.30pm.
Police also picked up Moshrefa Mishu, president of the Garments Sramik Oikya Forum and Bangladesh Trade Union Centre’s Assistant General Secretary Jolly Talukder, after evicting them from the factory.
However, Mishu was released after six hours of her arrest.
Before her arrest Mishu alleged that police had forcefully evicted the workers from the factory although they were observing a peaceful demonstration.
While evicting the workers a number of police personnel threatened them to rape if they did not vacate the factory immediately, she said.
Mishu vowed that their demonstration would continue to go on until their demands are met. She demanded explanation from police for their atrocities.
MA Jalil, officer-in-charge of the Badda Police Station, said: “We have detained Mishu and jolly but we released them as their involvement in the violence was not proved.”
Protesting the police attack and arrest of workers leaders the Tuba Group Sramik Sangram Committee called a strike for Saturday in all garment factories across the country.
Shahidul Islam Sabuj, member of the Tuba Group Sramik Sangram Committee, told the Dhaka Tribune that they called the strike to force the owner to meet their demands.
On yesterday morning police padlocked the main gate of the Hussain Super Market where the garment is housed and no one was allowed into the factory.
But they allowed workers to come out of the factory to draw their wages from the BGMEA office.
The situation worsened when police stopped water and power supply to the factory. Later, police stopped all kinds of food supply, says Josna and Rahima, who were inside the factory yesterday.
Around 12.00pm workers from nearby factories including Big Boss, Star line and Kick Ruler of Badda area marched towards the Tuba factory to express their solidarity with the agitating workers.
Police charged baton, fired rubber bullets and used water canon on the advancing workers to disperse them. The workers pelted brick chips in reply turning the entire area into a battle field.
A group of police entered the factory premises around 1:00 pm and forced them out of the factory.
Mohibul, a protesting worker, who was inside the factory, alleged that police suddenly entered their factories and started lobbing teargas shells and pepper spray along with charging batons asking them to leave the factory immediately.
Rehana, another worker, who was also present inside the factory, said police assaulted them psychically and hurled foul words like “son of beach”, “harlot”, “prostitutes” and “bustards”.
The workers of the Tuba joined the workers outside the factory. The clash then spread over the entire area. Some ruling party men were seen attacking the workers along with the police.
Angry workers vandalised some passenger buses and pick-up vans. They also put up barricades on the roads by using bamboo.
Even some photojournalists and camera persons who were performing their professional duty were not spared from police atrocities. A numbers of photojournalists were injured in the attack.
However, the situation came under control around 2.00pm and vehicular movement resumed.
Mahbub Hasan, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police of Gulshan Division, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had charged batons and used some tear gas and rubber bullets to take the situation under control.
The workers forced police to do that by attacking them with bricks along with some outsiders of the area, he alleged.
Asked about why they entered the factory ADC Mahbub said they did not use tear gas and charged batons inside the factory. He termed the allegation baseless saying that they just tried to take the situation under control as workers attacked them.
As he was asked about why they cut off water line and stop food supply he just said there was enough supply of water and food inside the factory for the workers.
A tense situation was prevailing in the area when the report was filed. An additional police force was deployed to avert any further untoward situation.
