Five-hour battle in CEPZ leaves three dead, dozens hurt
Monday, 13 December 2010
Our Correspondent
CHITTAGONG, Dec 12: Clashes between the workers and law enforcers in the Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) left three persons dead and over 100 people injured during a five-hour battle in the port city on Sunday.
The Bangladesh Export Processing Zone (BEPZA) authority said situation is now normal and most factories in the CEPZ will resume works Monday morning.
"The authority has decided to open the factories and the workers will also join their duties," labour leaders stated.
As many as 56 Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) personnel including officers, deputy commissioner (DC) of CMP Naimul Hasan, nine security personnel of CEPZ police box and two journalists -- Hasan Ferdous of Boishakhy TV and Kutub Uddin of the daily Inqilab -- were injured in attacks by the workers. About 50 workers and pedestrians were also injured in the tear-gas shells, fired by police.
The police said 31 workers have been arrested from the CEPZ area. Eye witnesses said the workers were engaged in ransacking YoungOne factories inside CEPZ and about 20 vehicles at the CEPZ gate. They have been taken to the Bandar police station.
Eight policemen including two, in critical conditions have been admitted to Dampara Police Line Hospital. Twenty-six workers and outsiders have been admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital and clinics. Journalist Hasan Ferdous was admitted to the Holy Crescent Hospital and photo journalist Kutub was admitted to the CMCH, police and hospital sources confirmed.
CMP Commissioner Abul Kashem said that three people have died in the clashes. One of them is a rickshaw puller -- Ariful Islam, but the remaining two deceased could not be identified as yet.
He said the situation is now fully under control, in and around the CEPZ, as an adequate number of industrial police, rapid action battalion (RAB-7) and CMP police have been deployed in the area.
All the 158 factories in CEPZ other than 11 factories of South Korea-based industrial group YoungOne Corporation will be in operation from Monday morning, BEPZA chairman Brigadier General Jamil Ahmed Khan told the journalists during the briefing at the BEPZA conference room today.
The briefing was addressed by Chittagong city Awami League president and former city mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, Member of Parliament from ruling party Awami League MA Latif and CMP Commissioner Abul Kashem. It was also attended by CEPZ GM Abdur Rashid, RAB-7 commanding officer, local AL leader AZM Nasir Uddin and local labour leaders.
In the briefing, the BEPZA chairman Brigadier General Jamil said that outsiders were involved in damaging factories and vehicles as they rushed in groups and acted on violently inside the CEPZ and at the main gate.
"A good number of the men 'in lungi' attacked the police and vehicles at the gate. But no worker in the EPZ can work in 'lungi' in the CEPZ. The attackers are not workers," he said.
He said that a four-member investigation committee headed by BEPZA Member (Investment) has been formed.
Reports by news agencies said: Police fired live bullets and tear gas shells during violent demonstrations in the southeastern city of Chittagong, a day after Korean company YoungOne shut down all 17 of its factories in Bangladesh following workers' unrest. The company alone employs 30,000 workers in the country.
Sources said a group of workers staged violent demonstration at three points of the EPZ at about 9am following Saturday's incident.
The agitated workers blocked the roads by burning tyres and logs and ransacked shops, market, banks and passing vehicles during the violent demonstration.
Owners closed all their factories in the Export Processing Zones (EPZ), fearing more violence.
As police tried to disperse the workers, a series of clashes between the workers and police took place, turning the EPZ into a battle field.
Police lobbed tear gas shells and opened fire to control the unruly workers, leaving three workers dead on the spot. The bodies were kept at the morgue of Chittagong Medical College.
Eight workers received bullet wounds and were admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital.
A tense situation prevailed in the area.
The workers have been agitating against the factory owners for alleged non-implementation the new wage structure.
Police arrested at least 30 agitating workers from the spot Sunday.
Rezaul Masud, assistant police superintendent and industrial police official of the Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ), confirmed the death of a worker. He, however, could not identify the worker.
Masud admitted that police used shotguns to control the situation, but could not exactly say whether the dead worker was hit by bullet.
Meanwhile, the situation was partly normalised after five hours of violent protests.
According to bdnews24.com, political activists belonging to the ruling party, also reportedly joined the police in beating up the unruly workers.
Police said the rowdy workers went on rampage in more than eight factories, vandalised at least 30 vehicles and set fire to two motorbikes from 8am to 12:30pm.
Locals said a good number of workers had also been injured in the sporadic clashes and eight of them admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital.
YoungOne is the largest RMG exporter from Bangladesh.
The country's annual export receipts amounted to 80 per cent of its annual earnings at $16.2 billion last fiscal.
The export trends so far this year did earlier indicate a higher amount of export earnings this year than that of last year. The RMG sector employs over three million workers, about 85 per cent of whom are women.
The garment workers, who make clothes for many western brands, were angry because, what they alleged, a government hike in wages due last month has not yet been implemented.
The Chief of Special Branch of Police in Chittagong, Mesbahuddin, told AFP about 50 people had been injured at the Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ), where 20,000 workers attacked factories and a police station.
Another police officer in Chittagong, Sergeant Sheikh Abul Hasan, told the news agency that workers had rampaged through the area.
"They torched and damaged scores of vehicles and attacked our officers and the station with bricks and stones. We fired live bullets when they became completely out of control," he said.
About 4,500 garment factories in Bangladesh, with many of them producing clothes for western retailers such as Wal-Mart, H&M and Levi Strauss, must are now required, under the minimum wage board award, to pay workers at least Taka 3,000 US$43 a month - up 80 per cent on the 2006 minimum wage.
"The workers became unruly and did not wait for our decision. Our deputy director is seriously injured. He will be flown to Bangkok for treatment," YoungOne Director Shikder Mesbahuddin Ahmed told a news agency.
YoungOne, Korean group industries, has blamed outside miscreants for Saturday's attack on its factories in Chittagong EPZ causing extensive damage and injuries to senior officials.
The incident led to suspension of operation of the factories, said a press release and demanded the authority should identify the miscreants and bring them to book.
"The sudden attacks occurring simultaneously at seven places of the factories of the group appeared to be very mysterious. The miscreants were from outside the EPZ and were very organized," said the press release issued by YoungOne, the largest readymade garments (RMG) exporter in Bangladesh.
It also accused the law enforcing agencies for their delayed response, in spite of desperate appeals. Only after three and a half hours of the trouble began YongOne officials including expatriates could be rescued, it said.
Explaining the situation it said YoungOne management re-fixed the wages of individual workers in accordance with the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) guidelines. Some unhappy workers were assured of redressing their grievances next month. Convinced, they returned to work.
But a group of unidentified, outside miscreants started rampage causing extensive damage to machinery, equipment and vehicles. They falsely alleged three workers of the factory have been killed and forced inside to recover the bodies.
Following the re-fixation of the wages of individual workers in the factories of YoungOne in Chittagong Export Processing Zones (CEPZ) on December 06, some workers of different units of the group raised certain issues regarding fixation of their wages, the press release said.
"The management was able to convince the workers in the morning meetings held on December 11, that their grievance would be resolved during the next annual increment, effective from January 01, 2011. The workers then went back to work", it added.
"At 4.10 pm the same day, a group of unidentified miscreants, not belonging to YoungOne Group, started a rampage simultaneously at seven places of the installation causing extensive damage to machinery, equipment, vehicles etc.", the press release added.
"They agitated the workers by showing blood-stained paper saying that three workers were killed and that they would have to search the factory for recovery of the dead bodies. These infiltrators also assaulted most of the senior management officials including one Executive Director and a Deputy Director who received serious injuries and was admitted in the intensive care unit of the Chittagong Metropolitan Hospital. Our officials were stripped off their mobile phones, wallets, watches and beaten mercilessly but could escape further serious injury due to protection by YoungOne workers", it stated.
The press release said: "The sudden attack occurring simultaneously at seven places of the factories of the group appeared to be very mysterious. The miscreants were from outside the zone and were very organized. The damage done to the factories was substantial.
"Even at 5.30 pm well after the rampage, concerned officials admittedly were unaware of the incident. Till 6.00pm we did not get any official help in spite of desperate appeals. Only at 9.00pm YoungOne officials including expatriates could be rescued with the help of law enforces agencies.
"As a result all YoungOne factories had been effectively closed. It is our fervent appeal that the authority should identify the miscreants and their backers who should be brought to book and held responsible for the injuries and loss caused.
At the same time it is our urgent and sincere appeal to all garment workers not to take recourse to violence or destruct the work place to which you will go back to work."
CHITTAGONG, Dec 12: Clashes between the workers and law enforcers in the Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) left three persons dead and over 100 people injured during a five-hour battle in the port city on Sunday.
The Bangladesh Export Processing Zone (BEPZA) authority said situation is now normal and most factories in the CEPZ will resume works Monday morning.
"The authority has decided to open the factories and the workers will also join their duties," labour leaders stated.
As many as 56 Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) personnel including officers, deputy commissioner (DC) of CMP Naimul Hasan, nine security personnel of CEPZ police box and two journalists -- Hasan Ferdous of Boishakhy TV and Kutub Uddin of the daily Inqilab -- were injured in attacks by the workers. About 50 workers and pedestrians were also injured in the tear-gas shells, fired by police.
The police said 31 workers have been arrested from the CEPZ area. Eye witnesses said the workers were engaged in ransacking YoungOne factories inside CEPZ and about 20 vehicles at the CEPZ gate. They have been taken to the Bandar police station.
Eight policemen including two, in critical conditions have been admitted to Dampara Police Line Hospital. Twenty-six workers and outsiders have been admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital and clinics. Journalist Hasan Ferdous was admitted to the Holy Crescent Hospital and photo journalist Kutub was admitted to the CMCH, police and hospital sources confirmed.
CMP Commissioner Abul Kashem said that three people have died in the clashes. One of them is a rickshaw puller -- Ariful Islam, but the remaining two deceased could not be identified as yet.
He said the situation is now fully under control, in and around the CEPZ, as an adequate number of industrial police, rapid action battalion (RAB-7) and CMP police have been deployed in the area.
All the 158 factories in CEPZ other than 11 factories of South Korea-based industrial group YoungOne Corporation will be in operation from Monday morning, BEPZA chairman Brigadier General Jamil Ahmed Khan told the journalists during the briefing at the BEPZA conference room today.
The briefing was addressed by Chittagong city Awami League president and former city mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, Member of Parliament from ruling party Awami League MA Latif and CMP Commissioner Abul Kashem. It was also attended by CEPZ GM Abdur Rashid, RAB-7 commanding officer, local AL leader AZM Nasir Uddin and local labour leaders.
In the briefing, the BEPZA chairman Brigadier General Jamil said that outsiders were involved in damaging factories and vehicles as they rushed in groups and acted on violently inside the CEPZ and at the main gate.
"A good number of the men 'in lungi' attacked the police and vehicles at the gate. But no worker in the EPZ can work in 'lungi' in the CEPZ. The attackers are not workers," he said.
He said that a four-member investigation committee headed by BEPZA Member (Investment) has been formed.
Reports by news agencies said: Police fired live bullets and tear gas shells during violent demonstrations in the southeastern city of Chittagong, a day after Korean company YoungOne shut down all 17 of its factories in Bangladesh following workers' unrest. The company alone employs 30,000 workers in the country.
Sources said a group of workers staged violent demonstration at three points of the EPZ at about 9am following Saturday's incident.
The agitated workers blocked the roads by burning tyres and logs and ransacked shops, market, banks and passing vehicles during the violent demonstration.
Owners closed all their factories in the Export Processing Zones (EPZ), fearing more violence.
As police tried to disperse the workers, a series of clashes between the workers and police took place, turning the EPZ into a battle field.
Police lobbed tear gas shells and opened fire to control the unruly workers, leaving three workers dead on the spot. The bodies were kept at the morgue of Chittagong Medical College.
Eight workers received bullet wounds and were admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital.
A tense situation prevailed in the area.
The workers have been agitating against the factory owners for alleged non-implementation the new wage structure.
Police arrested at least 30 agitating workers from the spot Sunday.
Rezaul Masud, assistant police superintendent and industrial police official of the Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ), confirmed the death of a worker. He, however, could not identify the worker.
Masud admitted that police used shotguns to control the situation, but could not exactly say whether the dead worker was hit by bullet.
Meanwhile, the situation was partly normalised after five hours of violent protests.
According to bdnews24.com, political activists belonging to the ruling party, also reportedly joined the police in beating up the unruly workers.
Police said the rowdy workers went on rampage in more than eight factories, vandalised at least 30 vehicles and set fire to two motorbikes from 8am to 12:30pm.
Locals said a good number of workers had also been injured in the sporadic clashes and eight of them admitted to Chittagong Medical College Hospital.
YoungOne is the largest RMG exporter from Bangladesh.
The country's annual export receipts amounted to 80 per cent of its annual earnings at $16.2 billion last fiscal.
The export trends so far this year did earlier indicate a higher amount of export earnings this year than that of last year. The RMG sector employs over three million workers, about 85 per cent of whom are women.
The garment workers, who make clothes for many western brands, were angry because, what they alleged, a government hike in wages due last month has not yet been implemented.
The Chief of Special Branch of Police in Chittagong, Mesbahuddin, told AFP about 50 people had been injured at the Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ), where 20,000 workers attacked factories and a police station.
Another police officer in Chittagong, Sergeant Sheikh Abul Hasan, told the news agency that workers had rampaged through the area.
"They torched and damaged scores of vehicles and attacked our officers and the station with bricks and stones. We fired live bullets when they became completely out of control," he said.
About 4,500 garment factories in Bangladesh, with many of them producing clothes for western retailers such as Wal-Mart, H&M and Levi Strauss, must are now required, under the minimum wage board award, to pay workers at least Taka 3,000 US$43 a month - up 80 per cent on the 2006 minimum wage.
"The workers became unruly and did not wait for our decision. Our deputy director is seriously injured. He will be flown to Bangkok for treatment," YoungOne Director Shikder Mesbahuddin Ahmed told a news agency.
YoungOne, Korean group industries, has blamed outside miscreants for Saturday's attack on its factories in Chittagong EPZ causing extensive damage and injuries to senior officials.
The incident led to suspension of operation of the factories, said a press release and demanded the authority should identify the miscreants and bring them to book.
"The sudden attacks occurring simultaneously at seven places of the factories of the group appeared to be very mysterious. The miscreants were from outside the EPZ and were very organized," said the press release issued by YoungOne, the largest readymade garments (RMG) exporter in Bangladesh.
It also accused the law enforcing agencies for their delayed response, in spite of desperate appeals. Only after three and a half hours of the trouble began YongOne officials including expatriates could be rescued, it said.
Explaining the situation it said YoungOne management re-fixed the wages of individual workers in accordance with the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) guidelines. Some unhappy workers were assured of redressing their grievances next month. Convinced, they returned to work.
But a group of unidentified, outside miscreants started rampage causing extensive damage to machinery, equipment and vehicles. They falsely alleged three workers of the factory have been killed and forced inside to recover the bodies.
Following the re-fixation of the wages of individual workers in the factories of YoungOne in Chittagong Export Processing Zones (CEPZ) on December 06, some workers of different units of the group raised certain issues regarding fixation of their wages, the press release said.
"The management was able to convince the workers in the morning meetings held on December 11, that their grievance would be resolved during the next annual increment, effective from January 01, 2011. The workers then went back to work", it added.
"At 4.10 pm the same day, a group of unidentified miscreants, not belonging to YoungOne Group, started a rampage simultaneously at seven places of the installation causing extensive damage to machinery, equipment, vehicles etc.", the press release added.
"They agitated the workers by showing blood-stained paper saying that three workers were killed and that they would have to search the factory for recovery of the dead bodies. These infiltrators also assaulted most of the senior management officials including one Executive Director and a Deputy Director who received serious injuries and was admitted in the intensive care unit of the Chittagong Metropolitan Hospital. Our officials were stripped off their mobile phones, wallets, watches and beaten mercilessly but could escape further serious injury due to protection by YoungOne workers", it stated.
The press release said: "The sudden attack occurring simultaneously at seven places of the factories of the group appeared to be very mysterious. The miscreants were from outside the zone and were very organized. The damage done to the factories was substantial.
"Even at 5.30 pm well after the rampage, concerned officials admittedly were unaware of the incident. Till 6.00pm we did not get any official help in spite of desperate appeals. Only at 9.00pm YoungOne officials including expatriates could be rescued with the help of law enforces agencies.
"As a result all YoungOne factories had been effectively closed. It is our fervent appeal that the authority should identify the miscreants and their backers who should be brought to book and held responsible for the injuries and loss caused.
At the same time it is our urgent and sincere appeal to all garment workers not to take recourse to violence or destruct the work place to which you will go back to work."