Md Joynal Abedin Khan :
The demonstration of garment workers contimed demanding the implementation of entry level new wages and salary hike for senior staff in all factories of the city, Savar, Ashulia and Board Bazar, Tongi of Gazipur and Narayanganj on Wednesday.
At least 100 people, including two journalists, were injured during the clash between garment workers and cops personnel.
About 20,000 workers took to the streets and vandalized at least 20 vehicles as the law enforcers charged them with rubber bullets and batons during the demonstration in front of factories on the streets, witnesses said.
The sufferings of commuters, including patients and officer goers.
In Savar, workers from different garment factories at Ulail in Savar and Kathgara in Ashulia took to the streets with processions demanding their wage hike, locals said.
At one stage, the workers hurled brickbats at police triggering a chase and counter-chase that lasted for about an hour, they said.
Police charged baton and lobbed teargas shells to disperse them, leaving at least 40 people injured, according to the witnesses.
Meanwhile, a team of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) was seen patrolling different areas.
Traffic movement on the Bypile-Abdullahpur highway remained suspended for about an hour as the RMG workers put up barricades at Narsinghapur in Ashulia.
Besides, the garment workers blocked Dhaka-Aricha highway at Kalampur in Dhamrai in the morning, halting traffic movement for nearly an hour.
However, they left the place upon the law enforcers request.
Earlier in the morning, several thousand garment workers in different parts of the industrial zone here started demonstrations for the fourth consecutive day, demanding cancellation of the ‘discriminatory’ wage board announced by the government for them.
Officials of the Industrial Police alleged that the workers from several garment factories in Ulail and Genda areas started gathering on the streets since morning and began demonstrations by setting tyres on fire.
The agitated workers also hurled brick chips at their factories. On information, police went to the spots and brought the situation under control.
The workers of five factories, including Textown Garments, put up barricades on Bishmile-Jirabo Road at Kathgara in Ashulia demanding wage hike.
Besides, the production in four factories in Ulail, Hemayetpur of Savar and Charabagh of Ashulia, remained suspended since morning following the unrest by the workers.
The factory authorities, meanwhile, have hung closure notices to the gates of their respective factories.
Additional police have been deployed in Savar and Ashulia areas to avoid further troubles, said Shana ShaminurRahman, Director of Industrial Police-1.
According to our Gazipur correspondent, at least 20 people, including a two journalists of Somoy Television, were injured during a clash with police at Gazipura on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway in the afternoon.
When workers of different garment factories tried to stage demonstrations blocking the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, police charged baton and lobbed teargas shells, leaving over 20 people, including Somoy TV journalist Asad Nur, injured, witnesses said.
Bashon Thana Officer-in-Charge Mokter Hossain said RMG workers of Kashimpur Board Bazar and other adjoining areas started demonstrations in the morning demanding their wage hike.
The authorities of over 100 factories in the areas declared their factories shut for Wednesday fearing vandalism.
Huge law enforcers were deployed in Konabari, Chandna, Kashimpur, Tongi and other industrials areas to avert troubles.
Earlier, Sumon Mia, 22, a worker of Anlima Textile, was killed in clashes with police during demonstrations at Hemayetpur on Tuesday.
At least 30 people have been injured in separate clashes between ready made garment (RMG) industry workers and police in Savar.
There are around 500 factories in Savar and Ashulia. Ashulia Industrial Police (Dhaka 1) SP Sana Saminur Rahman, said that the owners, of the factories where the workers have been demonstrating, took the decision after the recent protests.
However, the names and details of the garment factories are yet to be known.
In Nrayanganj, at least 35 people, including 10 policemen, were injured as police and workers of a closed readymade garment factory clashed at Adamjee EPZ in Narayanganj city on Wednesday.
Several hundred former workers of Swad Garments factory blocked Narayanganj-Adamjee-Shimrail Road in front of the EPZ main gate for over five hours from 7:00am, demanding their arrears.
Jahidur Rahman, Superintendent of Narayanganj industrial Police-4, said the workers took position on the road around 7:00am, halting vehicular movement.
