Over 100 hurt in RMG-workers' rampage in N'ganj
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
Over 100 people, including 20 cops, were injured, as garment workers went on a rampage and clashed with police at Kanchpur in Narayanganj Monday morning to press for their three-point demand including raise in bonus, reports UNB.
Witnesses said workers of Square Knit Composite Ltd observed work abstention and demonstrated at 7am for raising bonus and providing other facilities.
At one stage, the agitated workers swooped on the 12-storey factory building and vandalised machinery, furniture and windowpanes, and beat up some officials of the company.
When police from the local temporary camp rushed to the scene and charged batons, the unruly workers attacked the police camp, set fire to a room of the camp and damaged valuables.
The agitated garment workers also put barricade on the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway at 8:30 am, disrupting traffic movement for about four hours. They also set fire to two motorbikes and damaged 10 vehicles which were passing through the road at that time. At one stage some miscreants entered the factory and looted ready-made garments and computers.
A fierce clash ensued between the garment workers and the law-enforcers when police force from Rupganj and Sonargaon thanas rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control. "The whole area turned into a battlefield… many people including policemen were injured," said a witness.
Officer-in-charge of Sonargaon thana Md Yunus Ali and Kanchpur police camp in-charge SI Abul Hossain were among the injured.
Later, additional police and a RAB-team rushed to the spot and fired rubber bullets to disperse the workers. Police brought the situation under control at 11:30 am and arrested 16 garment workers from the scene. A case was filed with Sonargaon thana for the attack on police camp.
The injured were admitted to local clinics and different hospitals.
Officer-in-charge of Sonargaon thana Md Yunus Ali said: "It was a planned incident, and there might have been provocation behind it. We are investigating the matter."
Witnesses said workers of Square Knit Composite Ltd observed work abstention and demonstrated at 7am for raising bonus and providing other facilities.
At one stage, the agitated workers swooped on the 12-storey factory building and vandalised machinery, furniture and windowpanes, and beat up some officials of the company.
When police from the local temporary camp rushed to the scene and charged batons, the unruly workers attacked the police camp, set fire to a room of the camp and damaged valuables.
The agitated garment workers also put barricade on the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway at 8:30 am, disrupting traffic movement for about four hours. They also set fire to two motorbikes and damaged 10 vehicles which were passing through the road at that time. At one stage some miscreants entered the factory and looted ready-made garments and computers.
A fierce clash ensued between the garment workers and the law-enforcers when police force from Rupganj and Sonargaon thanas rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control. "The whole area turned into a battlefield… many people including policemen were injured," said a witness.
Officer-in-charge of Sonargaon thana Md Yunus Ali and Kanchpur police camp in-charge SI Abul Hossain were among the injured.
Later, additional police and a RAB-team rushed to the spot and fired rubber bullets to disperse the workers. Police brought the situation under control at 11:30 am and arrested 16 garment workers from the scene. A case was filed with Sonargaon thana for the attack on police camp.
The injured were admitted to local clinics and different hospitals.
Officer-in-charge of Sonargaon thana Md Yunus Ali said: "It was a planned incident, and there might have been provocation behind it. We are investigating the matter."