At least ten people, including police personnel, were injured in a clash between garment workers and law enforcement in Dhamrai on Thursday afternoon after workers from a factory named Radiance blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway over various demands.
The incident occurred around 3:30pm in the Sreerampur area of Dhamrai when the police attempted to disperse the protesting workers by deploying water cannons and tear gas.
The situation escalated into a chase and counter-chase, leading to physical confrontations between the workers and police.
The identities of the injured workers and police personnel were not immediately available. However, initial reports indicated that four police personnel and six workers sustained injuries during the altercation.
According to both workers and law enforcement sources, unrest had been brewing at the Radiance garment factory since Wednesday over a series of demands.
Tensions intensified when workers demanded the reinstatement of a dismissed general manager (GM). Although the factory management agreed to meet other demands, it refused to rehire the GM, prompting workers to block the highway.
In response, the police used water cannons and tear gas to remove the protesters. The situation deteriorated further when angry workers began throwing bricks and stones, injuring several police personnel.
Sohel Rana, station manager at the Dhamrai Fire Service, said a fire service team was deployed to the scene as a precautionary measure amid fears that the agitated workers might set fires. However, the situation was brought under control by the police.
Superintendent of Police Mominul Islam Bhuiyan of the Ashulia Industrial Police-1 unit said unrest had started the previous day inside the factory.
"Today, when we received reports of workers engaging in scuffles inside the premises, both police and military personnel rushed to the spot,” he said.
He added: “After 3pm, the workers moved to the highway, prompting us to use water cannons and tear gas. During the clash, four of our personnel were injured. Several workers were also hurt."
He added that Dhamrai police would investigate the incident and take legal action against those responsible for attacking law enforcement personnel, and a case may be filed following the investigation.
