At least 110 people were injured when the police charged at garment factory workers out on demonstrations with truncheons and teargas shells at Konabari in Gazipur and Savar in Dhaka on Saturday. Scores of vehicles and factories were vandalised. The lawmen also fired gunshots to tackle the situation.

The workers blocked the Dhaka–Tangail Highway at Konabari and the Dhaka–Aricha Highway at Savar, suspending traffic for several hours. The New Age correspondent in Gazipur said more than 70 people, including 18 policemen, were injured in clashes between garment workers and the police at Konabari over termination of the job and arrest of some of garment workers.

Witnesses and the police said the workers of the Standard Garments at Konabari abstained from work and went out on demonstrations in front of the factory Friday afternoon in protest at the termination of the job their 18 fellows. The authorities filed a case against 300 to 500 workers on Friday on charge of abstaining from work and going out on demonstrations. They also handed 28 workers over to the police on Saturday. Several hundred workers took to the streets and went on the rampage.

They blocked the Dhaka–Tangail Highway. The workers damaged several vehicles and some machines kept in front of the factory.

The police, army and the Rapid Action Battalion tried to tackle the situation by firing teargas shells and gunshots. More than 50 people were injured.

The workers alleged that police fired 115 rounds of shotgun bullet and 50 rounds of teargas canisters to bring the situation under control. Army troops, policemen and Rapid Action Battalion personnel were deployed to stave off further trouble. The workers of the Diganta Sweater Factory at Naojor in the Gazipur district headquarters also went on rampage Sunday afternoon over rumours of the death of one of their fellows in the factory bathroom.

The police said the workers became furious as the rumours spread and they had vandalised some machines and vehicles in front of the factory. They also blocked the Gazipur–Tangail Highway and damaged 25 vehicles which included two police vans.

Army troops, policemen and Rapid Action Battalion personnel tried to control the situation by firing teargas shells and gunshots. More than 20 were injured in the incidents.

The workers said the police had fired gunshots and teargas shells to control the situation. A large number of lawmen were deployed to check against further trouble. At least 40 people, including 10 female garment factory workers, were injured at Savar as the police charged at the factory workers with truncheons near the Rajphulbaria bus stand on Saturday.

Witnesses and the police said several hundred workers of the Biswas Garments Private Limited went out on demonstrations to push for the payment of their salary for two months in arrears. They blocked the Dhaka–Aricha Highway at about 1:30pm.

The Savar upazila nirbahi officer, Rabbi Mia, assistant superintendent of police Jahangir Alam, Savar police officer-in-charge Selim Sazzad, Ashulia police officer-in-charge Rafiqul Islam and Dhamrai police officer-in-charge Tariqul Islam reached the place and tried to tackle the situation.

The factory authorities asked the workers to join work and said salaries would be paid in two days; but the workers did not accept the proposal. The factory’s deputy director, Mahmuda Begum, also the wife of the owner, later asked the workers to go inside the factory to receive the salary. The workers then withdrew the blockade. As the workers failed to get the salaries, they went on the rampage and vandalised some vehicles stranded on the road.

The clash began as the police charged at them with truncheons. At least 40 workers were injured. The Savar police officer-in-charge, Selim Sazzad, told New Age, ‘Police deployment inside the factory was reinforced to stave off any trouble.’