Five killed as police, power plant workers clash in Ctg

CHATTOGRAM, Apr 17: Five workers of a coal-fired power plant of S Alam Group were killed and 16 others, including five policemen, injured in a clash between the police, workers and villagers at Gondamara in Banshkhali on Saturday morning.
The five deceased were identified as Ahmed Reza, 18, Rony Hossain, 22, Mohammed Shuva, 24, Md Rahat, 24, and Mohammed Raihan, 25. All of them sustained bullet injuries.
Four of them died on the way to Banshkhali Health Complex while the other died at Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH), according to police and hospital sources.
The 11 other injured workers are Md Habib Ullah, Md Rahat, Md Mizanur Rahman, Md Murad, Md Shakil, Md Kamrul Hasan, Masum Uddin Ahamed, Md Aminul Haq, Md Didarul Alam alias Didar, Mohammed Omar and Md Ovi. They were admitted to CMCH.
Of the five policemen injured in the clash, three were critically injured. They are SI Yasir, 24, Abdul Kabir, 26, and Asaduzzaman, 23. They were undergoing treatment at the Police Lines Hospital.
Workers said they were staging a demonstration demanding payment of their due wages in the morning. They also chanted slogans against the owners and officials of the power plant. At one stage, officials along with some outsiders were locked in an altercation with the workers at around 10:00 am.
Following the altercation, the agitated workers vandalised the offices and allegedly tried to set the building on fire, sources said.
Acting on information, the police rushed to the spot and as they tried to bring the situation under control, a clash between police, workers and the villagers erupted.
According to sources, the agitated workers also attacked the policemen who, in retaliation, opened fire, leaving five workers dead. Sixteen others, including five policemen, were also injured during the clash that lasted for about two hours.
Mehedi Hasan, a worker, said, "Staff members of the power plant along with some men of the owners attacked the workers when they were staging a demonstration demanding payment of due wages. Later, the police stepped in and a clash erupted."
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Banshkhali Saiduzzaman Chowdhury said, "Workers of coal-fired power plant of S Alam Group were locked in an altercation with its officials.
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