EPZ worker hit by machine, dies

A worker died after being hit by a heavy machine on the factory premises in Uttara Export Processing Zone (EPZ) at Sangolshi in Sadar upazila on Saturday.

The deceased, Ershad Ali, 35, son of Mohammad Kabir Uddin of Chairmanpara village in the upazila, was a machine operator at Hong Kong based spectacle factory Mazen (Bangladesh) Industries Ltd.

Fellow workers said the incident occurred when a heavy machine hit Ershad on the head around 3:30pm while he was operating the equipment without taking safety measures, leaving him critically injured.

As his condition was critical, factory authorities immediately took him to Rangpur Medical College Hospital.

He succumbed to his injuries around 7:00pm while undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Many workers alleged that because of the lack of proper monitoring system at the factory Ershad was operating the machine without any safeguard.

Admitting the death, General Manager of Uttara EPZ Abdus Sobhan said a three-member committee, headed by AGM Mohammad Khaled, has been formed to investigate the incident.