9 workers held for RMG unrest

The Rapid Action Battalion arrested nine workers on Thursday night in connection with the garment factory violence that ravaged the capital and its outskirts last week.
Rab officials described the arrestees as “criminals posing as workers”. They claimed to have identified the nine from video footage, newspaper photographs and intelligence reports before making the arrests in Gulshan, Banani and Mohakhali.
The arrestees said they did not take part in any violence but joined the movement without understanding it.
The elite force paraded the arrestees at a press briefing at Rab-1 headquarters in Uttara at around 4:00pm yesterday. They produced newspaper photographs and posters marking the detained workers.
"All the arrestees are garment workers. Some of them took part in the violence spontaneously while some joined with ill motives," said Lt Col Rashidul Alam, Rab-1 commanding officer.
He said the workers were involved in vandalism in Mohakhali, Gulshan and Tejgaon industrial areas on July 30.
The Rab official alleged that some neighbouring countries are trying to create unrest in the garment sector through workers movement.
Some 10 to 15 workers' organisations are being funded to instigate violence, he added.
Asked about the funding source, he said the matter is under investigation and will be made public at an appropriate time.
"We have identified 40-50 people involved in vandalism and the arrests were made on the basis of evidence," Rashidul said.
The arrestees however maintained said they knew nothing about the masterminds behind the violence.
Rubel Mia, one of the arrested workers, said he joined the protesters and threw stones at some shops and factories at Mohakhali.
Bachhu, another detained worker, said he took part in the protest without knowing much.
As Rab officials asked Rasel, an arrestee, whether he took part in vandalising a spectacles shop in Gulshan-1 and stole sunglasses, he said he went there with fellow workers but did not enter the shop.
"They were my sunglasses and I put those on as I had problem in my eyes," he said.
As his attention was drawn to the photographs where he was seen holding a stick and a pair of black sunglass, Rasel said his factory was closed at 10:30am on the day and he took a pipe in his hand while going to Gulshan-1 but did nothing with it.
He claimed he did not participate in any ransacking.