Weather | Dhaka 
With her weeping child in the lap and holding a daily newspaper that printed a photo of her injured husband Tajul, Momtaj Begum cries before media men yesterday at Ershadnagar in Tongi. Tajul has been missing since Saturday's violent clash between police and garment workers in the area. Photo: aMRAN hOSSAINAnother man died from wounds in hospital yesterday raising the death toll to three in Saturday's labour unrest at Nippon Garment Industries Ltd in Tongi.
Police filed a case against 2,000 to 3,000 unidentified people along with eight others, detained on Saturday with ties to the clashes between police and workers. Two persons died on the spot and 100 others were injured in the incident.
Tajul Islam, 50, a resident of Ershad Nagar in Tongi, who was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital with head injuries on Saturday, died early in the morning.
The bodies of the two others -- Bablu Sheikh, 32, a rickshaw-van puller, and Shafique, a construction worker from Ershad Nagar -- were taken to Gazipur Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy on Saturday night.
A correspondent from Gazipur reported that both bodies bore bullet marks.
Later, the bodies of Bablu and Shafique were sent to their village homes in Jamalpur and Bhola, said police.
Tapan Saha, officer-in-charge of Tongi Police Station, told The Daily Star that he had filed the case on charges of assault on law enforcers, vandalism and torching vehicles.
Law enforcers were deployed in and around the garment factory that remained closed following the violent clashes.
Several hundred workers of the factory demanded a fair probe into the incident and trial of the factory owners at a protest rally near Majida High School in Ershad Nagar.
They also demanded punishment to the law enforcers involved in what they said was indiscriminate firing on garment workers and locals.
Apart from 800 reserve police in the district, 200 more from adjacent districts and five platoons from Dhaka Metropolitan Police have been put in place to tighten security at garment factories, said Gazipur Police Super SM Mahfuzul Haque Nuruzzaman.
Family members of the workers missing since Saturday's clashes scoured city hospitals and police stations yesterday for their loved ones.
Momtaj Begum, 55, along with her three daughters, looked in vain for her construction worker husband at the DMCH, Tongi Hospital, Gazipur Sadar Hospital and around the factory.
"I saw on the television that my husband with a bloodied forehead was being whisked away in a police van in front of the factory," said Momtaj, a construction worker from Ershad Nagar.
"I am yet to find any trace of my husband," she said.
Family members of the missing workers and locals were still in search of their dear ones.
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Monday, November 2, 2009 09:14 AM GMT+06:00 (3 weeks ago)
Tongi's Rampage
Tongi's labour unrest is a touching and unexpected incident. Recently in Bangladesh the violence in garments sector is rapidly spreading. Even in BNP government and AL government, this unrest could not be controlled. Is there any vicious circle? And that circle is doing conspiracy against Bangladesh and garments sector for demolishing our economic strength. Death toll is now to 3. This death toll can raise more. But we could not tolerate the tears of deceased family and their children. Who will provide their bread and butter? After taking the power, the Govt was about to establish the Industrial Police to dwindle such atrocity. And BGMEA is not carrying-out any kindness role for the laborers of the factory. They are not giving salary and bonus timely. As a result the badly needed workers sometimes go to the rampage. And there is no trade union in factory. Without trade union the owners are doing only for their own interest at any cost beyond the workers interest. Govt should monitor sternly and take various effective initiatives to not to held such as riot especially in Garments sector.
Monday, November 2, 2009 09:52 AM GMT+06:00 (3 weeks ago)
My deepest symapthy for slained persons family.
It seems that human killing is taridtionaly wellcomed by Bangladesh government.
Monday, November 2, 2009 03:53 AM GMT+06:00 (3 weeks ago)
How may AL activists were sued for violently protesting and destroying public and private properties following the bomb attack on Taposh MP?
Monday, November 2, 2009 03:59 PM GMT+06:00 (3 weeks ago)
We should have find out the main culprits behind the clash. Law enforcement group or workers or local people or others one!
Monday, November 2, 2009 05:48 PM GMT+06:00 (3 weeks ago)
A message to the BGMEA president:
There may be conspiracy but shutting down factories without paying the workers' salary is the biggest one. Stop giving the same old explanation and do something about the workers happiness for once. Happy workers produce more. Its a simple logic. Otherwise not the conspirators, but you people will be responsible for the destruction of a huge export oriented industry yourselves.
Monday, November 2, 2009 08:28 PM GMT+06:00 (3 weeks ago)
It's pathetic. Needs a proper investigation and find out the main culprit, also give them punishment.