30 injured, 15 vehicles vandalised as workers clash with police in Gazipur

At least 30 people were injured, including around 10 policemen, in a clash between law enforcers and garment workers at Chandra Palli Bidyut area, Kaliakoir upazila, Gazipur on Saturday afternoon.

The agitated workers, many of whom were allegedly “infiltrators,” vandalised 15 vehicles, including police vans.

The clashes erupted around 5:30pm, when police tried to apply force to disperse the workers, after repeated requests to observe peaceful protests and lift a road blockade were snubbed.

Around 7:30pm, vehicular movement returned to normal on the Dhaka-Tangail Highway, almost five hours after the workers enforced the blockade, said Shahidul Islam, officer-in-charge of Kaliakoir Police Station.

Kabir, garment worker of Divine Textile, said that 20-25 workers were injured in clash with police, while more sustained wounds from teargas shells. The protests would resume Sunday, he said.

Police and locals said that the garment workers have been protesting for the past couple of days in Konabari and other areas of Gazipur, demanding Tk30,000 as minimum wage.

The protesters have been demanding that the hike in consumer prices, and stopping of overtime pay have made living unaffordable for them. Government’s assurance on Friday and Saturday of forming a new wage board could not quell their anger, locals said.

Around 2:30pm on Saturday, workers from Interstop Apparel Ltd first took to the streets. Gradually, they were joined by workers from nearby factories, including that of Divine Textiles.

They dumped rubbish and sticks on the road, and set fire to these.

On-duty-officers repeatedly requested the agitators to lift the blockade, saying the government had already agreed to form a wage board on hiking pays.

However, the protesters were defiant.

Around 5:30pm, police started baton-charging the protesters, initiating a chase and counter-chase. The workers threw brickbats, while police used sound grenades. Around 7pm, police started firing tear gas, forcing the protesters to retreat.