Police-Worker Clash Leaves 50 RMG Factories Shut

The police and readymade garments workers, who have been demonstrating for an increase in the minimum wage for the last two weeks, were locked in a chase and counter-chase in Gazipur Thursday (November 9) morning.

Due to the demonstrations, the authorities have shut over 50 factories in the Konabari, Zarun, Chandana and Bhogra areas in the district.

Witnesses said the workers of a factory started demonstrations in the Chandana area at around 9:00 am today. Later, members of the industrial police and local police station brought the situation under control by talking to them.

A few moments later, the RMG workers from Naojor area started demonstrating taking position on the Dhaka-Tangail highway. They set fire to tyres.

Following this, the workers and the law enforcement agency members chased each other.

Police said the workers have been demonstrating from 23 October demanding a raise in wages. In continuation of that the workers enforced a blockade in Chandana and Naojor areas by setting fire to tires and wood and bamboo and vandalised there in the morning.

On information members of Basan police station, RAB and industrial police went there and locked in the chase and counter-chase.

The police claimed as the workers threw brickbats aimed at the law enforcement agency members, they fired teargas shells and rubber bullets to control the situation.

A fire service unit from Joydebpur doused the fire on the highway.

Additional police super of Gazipur industrial police, Imran Ahmed said they talked to the RMG workers when they started the demonstrations in the Chandana area in the morning. But the workers from several factories in Naojor and adjacent areas started vandalising and set fire on the highway.