The dead, Mohammad Hanif, 30, was a casual worker of Eastern Jute Mills of Atra industrial belt of the city.

The injured include 14 police personnel and General Secretary of Khulna Union of Journalists Sarwar Ahmed Kajol, who is also a staff photographer of the Dainik Purbanchal.

Police cordoned off Khulna Medical College Hospital where worker Hanif succumbed to his head injuries at around 3:00pm.

As the death news spread, the entire industrial belt became tense and jute mill workers started angry demonstrations.

Police lobbed a large number of teargas shells and fired rubber bullets in the air to disperse unruly workers when they attacked the on-duty law enforcers, eyewitnesses said.

Police and APBn members went into action at 11:10am when they came under attack by agitating workers near People's Jute Mills, Assistant Commissioner Zahur Chowdhury of Khulna Metropolitan Police said, adding that workers pelted them with stones and brickbats recklessly.

Convener of Patkal Sangram Parishad Sarder Motaharuddin, on the other hand, said workers became furious when law enforcers chased them at the time of laying siege to People's Jute Mills as part of their movement for getting arrear wages and salaries of eight jute mills of Khulna-Jessore industrial belt.

Many shops and vehicles were damaged during the clashes. Unruly workers also damaged Khalishpur Wonderland, a recreation spot for children.

The fierce clashes disturbed normal life at Khalishpur and forced suspension of production at Khulna Hardboard Mill at 11:00am yesterday.

Workers and employees of eight jute mills have been on indefinite strike since Wednesday demanding arrear wages and salaries.

They have cut off water supply and electricity connection for the families of the mill officials and deprived them of essential services including use of official transport since Wednesday as pressure tactics to realise their demands.

Huge security forces have been deployed at tense Khalishpur industrial belt.

Earlier on Wednesday evening, pitched battles between law enforcers and unruly workers at Khalishpur and Daulatpur left at least 30 people injured.

UNB adds: Around 20,000 workers of seven jute mills in Sitakundu Industrial Area blocked the Dhaka-Chittagong highway for eight hours yesterday, disrupting traffic on the busy route to the seaport.

Sources said the workers put up barricades on the highway at 8:00am demanding payment of all arrears.

The barricades were withdrawn in the afternoon following an assurance from the government high-ups of fulfilling the demand of the workers.