20 injured as RMG workers clash in N'ganj

Twenty persons were injured as two groups of garment workers clashed at Fatullah in Narayanganj over joining a demonstration yesterday.
The group that organised the demonstration also barricaded the Dhaka-Narayanganj Highway for over an hour, causing acute traffic congestion in the area. They also ransacked a few garment factories in the vicinity as workers of those refused to join them.
Witnesses said workers of Time Sweater Factory came down on the street in the morning demanding withdrawal of a case filed against 20-25 unidentified workers of the factory a few days ago.
Yesterday's clash was the sequel to beating up of a worker on June 6. On that day, the workers of Time Sweater staged a demonstration near Katherpool, demanding salary hike.
During the demonstration, they beat up Kazi Ripon, knitting-in-charge of the factory, as he and a few others refused to join the agitation.
Ripon filed a case with Fatullah Police Station on June 19 against the unidentified garment workers.
The agitating workers set June 24 as the deadline for withdrawal of the case.
As Ripon did not withdraw the case, about 1,000 workers of Time Sweater came out and locked in a clash with Ripon's supporters.
They tried to gather workers from nearby factories and ransacked some factories after being opposed, witnesses said.
They put up a barricade on the Dhaka-Narayanganj road at about 9:00am.
Police charged truncheons to disperse the unruly workers.
The injured include Delwar, Masud, Al Amin, Shafiqul, Sathi, Ankhi and Sabuj who were treated at the Narayanganj 200-bed hospital.