Cops beat up demonstrating RMG workers
A policeman clubs a demonstrating garment worker at Sheorapara in the capital yesterday as the workers blockaded Rokeya Sarani for 30 minutes and started vandalising vehicles.Photo: STAR
Police swooped on a group of garment workers in the city's Sheorapara yesterday after the workers took to busy Rokeya Sarani for their demands and vandalised several vehicles.
More than a hundred workers of the factory of Kimberly Fashion Ltd absented themselves from work and started demonstration at around 10:00am barricading the busy road for half an hour, which caused a halt in traffic movement.
Their demands included payment of salary and overtime allowances, Eid bonuses and attendance bonuses and leave facilities in line with the labour law.
At one point, they vandalised some vehicles prompting the police deployed in the area to club the workers.
Several workers and passers-by were injured in the police action, witnesses said.
A pregnant worker named Rubi suffered serious injuries when she fell on the stairs on the seventh floor of the building that houses the factory in the rush of workers as police also charged batons inside the factory, alleged a number of workers seeking anonymity.
Ruby was taken to a city hospital unconscious. For a while, rumour spread that she had died. However, Ruby was released from hospital after treatment.
The agitating workers went back to work at noon after a deal was struck in a meeting among the representatives of the workers, owner, the joint forces and the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) at the factory building.
Yesterday's agitation is third such incident in the area since January 2. Earlier, workers of SQ Sweater Ltd staged demonstrations on January 2 and 3 while workers of three other factories of the group barricaded the busy Rokeya Sarani on Saturday in support of similar demands.
Additional police were deployed at the entrances of all garment factories in the area following the demonstration to avert any untoward incident.
WORKERS' AGITATION IN NARAYANGANJ
Our Narayanganj correspondent adds: Workers of three factories of Partex Group barricaded the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway at Dewanbagh area in Bandar Police Station in the district demanding hike in salary and bonus.
The blockade caused severe traffic gridlock on both sides of the highway. Later, police went to the spot and brought the situation under control.
Police and workers said that the workers of Partex Star Particle Board Mills Ltd, Partex Plywood Factory and Partex Furniture Industries stopped their work at around 8:00am and barricaded the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway at around 10:00am.
The workers, however, returned to work after a successful meeting between the Partex group management, police and the workers.
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