Workers block road, clash with cops

Brick chips remain scattered on the road as garment workers clash with police at Itahata area, adjacent to Chandona intersection of Gazipur, Saturday morning demanding salary hike. Photo: Star

Apparel workers clashed with law enforcers in the capital's outskirts Savar and Gazipur Saturday morning to press home their demand for fixing minimum monthly salary to Tk 8,114.

The aggrieved workers claimed that at least 25 of their fellows were injured in the clashes that were reported from Chandona intersection of Gazipur Sadar upazila and Kathgora area in Ashulia of Savar.

During the demonstration, which stemmed from the salary hike demand on September 21, the workers also blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway for nearly 30 minutes from 10:40am.

In the meantime, the authorities of six garment units had to suspend the production at their factories for Saturday in the wake of the demonstration in Ashulia area of Savar.

GAZIPUR

The clash ensued in Chandona intersection around 10:40am as police tried to disperse over 5,000 workers charging truncheons when they were protesting blocking the Dhaka-Tangail highway, reports our Gazipur correspondent.

Workers of several garment units including Diganta Sweater Factory hurled brick chips to the law enforcers during the 30 minutes clash.

At one stage, the clash spread to adjacent areas including Itahata.

The workers alleged that at least 20 of their fellows sustained injuries in the clash.

When contacted, Mosharraf Hossain, assistant superintendent of Gazipur Industrial Police, said they had no information about the injuries, reported our Gazipur correspondent.

The road communication however resumed around 11:10am with the intervention of police, facing a disruption of around 30 minutes.

In a separate incident at Molaid in Sreepur upazila, the workers of Hasin Sweater Ltd vandalised their factory around 11:00am.

They staged demonstration for nearly three hours from 8:30am protesting the sacking of 20 colleagues.

The workers claimed that the factory owners have fired their fellows on Wednesday as for their alleged involvement with the ongoing movement.

Besides, the workers of SM Knitwear also protested in the morning alleging that the outsiders attacked them when they were demonstrating for salary hike on September 23.

ASHULIA

The authorities of Comsit Composit Knitwear, Sonar Bangla, Z-3 and Cross Wear and two other factories in Kathgara and Kuturia areas of Ashulia shut their production for Saturday as the workers refrained themselves from joining work, said Abdus Sattar, deputy assistant director of Ashulia Industrial Police.

At least five workers were injured during a chase and counter-chase with police when the agitating workers blocked a road at Kathgara Bazar around 9:00am, reports our Savar correspondent quoting witnesses.

Police also charged batons and lobbed several teargas canisters to disperse the demonstrating workers.

In retaliation, the workers hurled brick chips, said Md Moniruzzaman, deputy director of Ashulia Industrial Police.