Workers from several factories and local residents torched four buses blocking the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway at Targach area in Gazipur city on Saturday night protesting death of a security guard of factory in a road accident.
The deceased was identified as Monnaf Ali, 50, hailing from Jhenaidah.
The protest was sparked by the news of the death of the guard of “Ananta Casual”, who was killed in a bus accident.
The incident occurred around 8:30pm.
When the fire service arrived at the scene, the workers threw bricks at them.
It was reported that around 8:15pm on Saturday, news spread of the death of a factory security guard who was reportedly hit by a bus in the Targach area of Gazipur city on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.
Following this news, workers from nearby factories vandalized buses and set them on fire.
Sub-Inspector (SI) Mohammad Mustafa Kamal of Gacha police station said that the agitated crowd set fire to four buses following the death news.
He added that the body was reported to be at the Tongi Shaheed Ahsan Ullah Master General Hospital.
Mohammad Mamun, assistant director of Gazipur Fire Service, said that two units from the Tongi Fire Service were sent to the scene upon receiving the news of the bus fire.
However, when they tried to open the water hoses, the public attacked them, preventing them from doing their work. The fire service is still on-site, and it is reported that two to three buses were set on fire.
Mohammad Ibrahim Khan, deputy police commissioner (Traffic) of Gazipur City Police, said that around 8:30pm on Saturday, a security guard from Ananta Casual Garments was crossing the highway when a passenger bus from Azmeri Paribahan, heading towards Dhaka from Gazipur, hit and killed him on the spot.
Following the incident, enraged workers set fire to several buses, causing a traffic blockade on both sides of the highway.
Due to local resistance, the fire service was unable to reach the scene. Police are working to control the situation, said the official.
