At least 12 tea workers were injured when a rally demanding an increase in their daily wage to Tk500 came under attack in Sreemangal of Moulvibazar on Monday.
The incident took place around noon in the Labour House and Chowmuhona areas of Sreemangal upazila town.
The protesting workers organised a human chain at Chowmuhona as part of their announced programme and later brought out a rally towards Labour House. They alleged that a faction of the Bangladesh Tea Workers’ Union attacked them while they were proceeding peacefully.
Tea worker leader Gita Rani Kanu said they had obtained permission from the administration to hold the rally. She alleged that when the procession reached in front of the Tea Workers’ Union office, their banner was snatched and the protesters were attacked.
“This is the second time we have been attacked,” she said.
Another protest leader, Akash Doshad, alleged that a group led by Tea Workers’ Union Treasurer Paresh Kalindi and Balishira Valley President Bijoy Hazra attacked the protesters while they were returning after the programme.
He alleged that several protesters were dragged to the gate of Labour House and beaten.
Among the injured, Janak Lal Deshwara, Radha Mohan Nunia and Gita Rani Kanu were reportedly seriously injured and were taken to Moulvibazar Sadar Hospital.
Paresh Kalindi, however, denied the allegations. He claimed that after the human chain, a group entered the Labour House office, vandalised it and hurled abusive remarks at the workers.
He said their supporters later chased the group away and denied that anyone had been caught and beaten in front of police.
However, video footage circulated on social media appears to show a different sequence of events. The footage shows several tea worker leaders running after the protesters as they moved along the road without entering the office. Some of the protesters were then caught, while their banner was torn and they were allegedly assaulted in the presence of police.
Attempts to contact Bangladesh Tea Workers’ Union General Secretary Nipen Pal for comment went unanswered.
Sreemangal Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abdullah Al Mamun said police had received preliminary information that a scuffle took place between the two groups as the protesters were heading towards the Labour Office after the human chain.
“Police have been deployed at the scene. Legal action will be taken after a detailed investigation,” he said.
