Mill workers clash with cops in Khulna, 16 hurt

The third day of jute mill workers’ countrywide strike ended up in a clash in Khulna today resulting in injuries to at least 16 including policemen.

The clashes broke out at Natun Rasta in Khulna when the workers chased some policemen who were trying to take photographs, our local correspondent reports quoting Khulna Metropolitan Police’s Additional Deputy Police Commissioner Sheikh Moniruzzaman.

Agitated jute mill workers vandalised a police box. Four policemen were injured in the clash. The injured took treatment at different hospitals.

The workers started the 72-hour nationwide strike since Tuesday to press home their demands including payment of their arrears, implementing the National Wage Scale-2015, paying gratuities and insurance claims of retired and deceased workers, reinstating the workers who lost jobs during previous workers' demonstrations, regularising the jobs of temporary workers and authorising the mills authorities to recruit workers.

Elsewhere in Khulna, the workers blockaded roads in Shonadanga Bus Stand, Noyabati, and Atra since morning, blocking Khulna-Jashore road.

A blockade on railway suspended Dhaka-Khulna trains since morning, Manik Chandra Sarkar, station master of Khulna Railway Station, told The Daily Star.

No long route buses left from the district till 12:00pm.

The strike was also observed through Narsingdi and Chattogram.

In Narsingdi, agitating workers took position blocking the rail routes at Torua Mazar area of the district from 6:00am-12:30pm, our Brahmanbaria correspondent reports.

Agitating jute mill workers took position blocking the rail routes at Torua Mazar area of Narsingdi. Photo: Collected

They set fire on the rail track and threw brick bats around 11:00am on the Karnafuli Express Train which was going to Chattogram from Dhaka.

On information, railway police and fire fighters reached the spot to bring the situation under control, Sub-Inspector Firoz Ahmed of Narsingdi Railway Police Outpost said.

Workers of Narshingdi UMC Jute Mill and Ghorashal Jute Mill participated in this strike today.

Shafiqul Islam Molla, president of UMC Jute Mill Workers Union, said: "We urged the government to accept our demands. For some unknown reasons the government did not approve of those, for which the workers had to resort to this strike".

If the demands are not met, they will go for sterner action in future, he added.

In Chattogram, shuttle train services for Chittagong University (CU) remained suspended today as workers took position on Chattogram-Rangamati road from early morning, our Chittagong University correspondent reports.

As the university is closed today for Shab-e-meraj holiday, the train was to have only one trip at 8:00am, which was cancelled for the strike, said in-charge of Sholoshohor Police Outpost, Sub-Inspector Jakir Hossain.

Earlier on Tuesday, the jute mill workers started their 72-hour strike by blocking roads and rail routes from 8am-12pm to press home their nine-point demand.

Production at nine state owned jute mills remain suspended from Tuesday following the strike.

The workers resumed protests from March 31 as their demands were not fulfilled by the government within their stipulated time.