Two feared dead, 100 hurt as garment workers clash with police over arrear pay
Sunday, 1 November 2009
FE Report
Two people were feared killed and more than a hundred injured after thousands of garment workers clashed with police over unpaid wages at Tongi Industrial Area Saturday.
Police said they fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells after the workers became violent and started pelting stones and bricks at the law-enforcers.
The protesters, who worked for the Nippon Garments, were demanding three months' back pay after the owners shut down the factory, blaming a lack of orders due to the global financial slump
"The law-enforcers had to fire rubber bullets to disperse the workers who hurled stones and bricks at our officers," Monowarul Haque, additional superintendent of police, who looks after the industrial zone, said.
Police won't confirm any death, but added that scores of people including more than a dozen of their officers were injured in the clashes that lasted for more than four hours, halting traffic on the busy Mymensingh road.
The workers became angry and violent when they saw the factory was laid off by the owners without any prior notice.
The owners were supposed to pay the wages to the workers on the day but instead they hung a notice on the front-door of the factory, saying the Nippon Garment would remain shut until November 29 due to lack of orders.
"That sparked instant protests by the workers. Some blockaded the road while some damaged motor vehicles," a worker said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Police rushed to the spot and tried to disperse the workers. "But all of a sudden they started hurling bricks at us indiscriminately. We used rubber bullets and tear gas and charged batons to contain the mob," Haq said.
Locals said at least two people were killed in the rioting. But police could not confirm the death till writing this report at 8pm Saturday. They alleged the bodies were taken away from inside the factory.
Rukhsana Akhter, 25, claimed that her van-puller husband Babul Sheikh (30) was killed during the clashes and police took away the body to unspecified place.
But Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nur Mohammad and Director General (DG) of RAB Hasan Mahmud Khandoker visiting the Tongi Industrial Area in the afternoon insisted that none were killed in the clashes.
Seventeen people, including 14 with bullet wounds, were admitted to Dhaka Medical
College Hospital (DMCH). Three injured policemen were admitted to Rajarbagh Police Lines Hospital in critical condition.
"Most of them have live bullet wounds and some are in serious conditions," said Abdul Baten, an official of the hospital.
Police, however, refused to admit that they have used live bullets during the clashes.
Saturday's clashes were the worst since the global slump started to affect Bangladeshi apparel factories, which account for 80 percent of the country's 15.56 billion dollars exports in the last financial year.
In June some 50,000 workers protesting wage cuts and unpaid salaries clashed with police, leaving scores injured.
Montu Ghosh, head of the Garment Workers Trade Union Center, said the owners of Nippon Garments were due to pay wages Saturday morning and asked the workers to come and collect checks.
"But they shut down the factory in the night and instead sent police to guard their factory. The workers became angry when they saw that the owners have left without paying salaries," he said.
Local lawmaker Zahid Ahsan Russel and Tongi municipality mayor Azmatullah also visited the spot and called for calm.
The situation became normal after 2:00pm as Russel promised legal action against the factory owners so that the poor workers could get their back wages.
Additional law enforcers have been deployed at the trouble-prone area to maintain law and order.
Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun told reporters after visiting injured persons at DMCH that they did not get any news of death. "If we get it, we'll disclose it officially."
She ordered probe into the "unfortunate incident" and promised stern action against those responsible for the clashes.
"If we find that the policemen have opened fire on the workers without provocation, they will be brought to justice," she said.
Soon after the rioting, the country's apex apparel body, Bangladesh Garment Manufactures and Exporters Association (BGMEA), held an emergency meeting.
BGMEA president Abdus Salam Murshedy told reporters that a total of 13 people were injured in the clashes. "And among them only one was a garment worker named Aleya and another was policewoman. Rest of the injured persons were pedestrians."
"No one was killed in the violence," Murshedy said.
He said the owners have told the workers that they would clear wages and other financial benefits by November 10.
"I don't know what prompted the unrest. I think vested quarters who want to destroy the country's largest foreign currency earning sector was behind the violence," he alleged.
The BGMEA leaders also sought additional security at the country's industrial areas.
Union leaders condemned the brutal police action and demanded exemplary punishment against the garment owners.
Rokeya Sultana Anju, coordinator of Bangladesh Garments Worker Unity Council, blamed the factory authorities for the latest unrest, as they did not follow the labour laws by not informing the workers before hanging the lay-off notice.
"Police swooped on the workers who were peacefully demonstrating. A fair investigation should be carried out into the incident," she said.
She also said a number of workers have been injured in the clashes and asked the authorities to compensate them.
Two people were feared killed and more than a hundred injured after thousands of garment workers clashed with police over unpaid wages at Tongi Industrial Area Saturday.
Police said they fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells after the workers became violent and started pelting stones and bricks at the law-enforcers.
The protesters, who worked for the Nippon Garments, were demanding three months' back pay after the owners shut down the factory, blaming a lack of orders due to the global financial slump
"The law-enforcers had to fire rubber bullets to disperse the workers who hurled stones and bricks at our officers," Monowarul Haque, additional superintendent of police, who looks after the industrial zone, said.
Police won't confirm any death, but added that scores of people including more than a dozen of their officers were injured in the clashes that lasted for more than four hours, halting traffic on the busy Mymensingh road.
The workers became angry and violent when they saw the factory was laid off by the owners without any prior notice.
The owners were supposed to pay the wages to the workers on the day but instead they hung a notice on the front-door of the factory, saying the Nippon Garment would remain shut until November 29 due to lack of orders.
"That sparked instant protests by the workers. Some blockaded the road while some damaged motor vehicles," a worker said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Police rushed to the spot and tried to disperse the workers. "But all of a sudden they started hurling bricks at us indiscriminately. We used rubber bullets and tear gas and charged batons to contain the mob," Haq said.
Locals said at least two people were killed in the rioting. But police could not confirm the death till writing this report at 8pm Saturday. They alleged the bodies were taken away from inside the factory.
Rukhsana Akhter, 25, claimed that her van-puller husband Babul Sheikh (30) was killed during the clashes and police took away the body to unspecified place.
But Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nur Mohammad and Director General (DG) of RAB Hasan Mahmud Khandoker visiting the Tongi Industrial Area in the afternoon insisted that none were killed in the clashes.
Seventeen people, including 14 with bullet wounds, were admitted to Dhaka Medical
College Hospital (DMCH). Three injured policemen were admitted to Rajarbagh Police Lines Hospital in critical condition.
"Most of them have live bullet wounds and some are in serious conditions," said Abdul Baten, an official of the hospital.
Police, however, refused to admit that they have used live bullets during the clashes.
Saturday's clashes were the worst since the global slump started to affect Bangladeshi apparel factories, which account for 80 percent of the country's 15.56 billion dollars exports in the last financial year.
In June some 50,000 workers protesting wage cuts and unpaid salaries clashed with police, leaving scores injured.
Montu Ghosh, head of the Garment Workers Trade Union Center, said the owners of Nippon Garments were due to pay wages Saturday morning and asked the workers to come and collect checks.
"But they shut down the factory in the night and instead sent police to guard their factory. The workers became angry when they saw that the owners have left without paying salaries," he said.
Local lawmaker Zahid Ahsan Russel and Tongi municipality mayor Azmatullah also visited the spot and called for calm.
The situation became normal after 2:00pm as Russel promised legal action against the factory owners so that the poor workers could get their back wages.
Additional law enforcers have been deployed at the trouble-prone area to maintain law and order.
Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun told reporters after visiting injured persons at DMCH that they did not get any news of death. "If we get it, we'll disclose it officially."
She ordered probe into the "unfortunate incident" and promised stern action against those responsible for the clashes.
"If we find that the policemen have opened fire on the workers without provocation, they will be brought to justice," she said.
Soon after the rioting, the country's apex apparel body, Bangladesh Garment Manufactures and Exporters Association (BGMEA), held an emergency meeting.
BGMEA president Abdus Salam Murshedy told reporters that a total of 13 people were injured in the clashes. "And among them only one was a garment worker named Aleya and another was policewoman. Rest of the injured persons were pedestrians."
"No one was killed in the violence," Murshedy said.
He said the owners have told the workers that they would clear wages and other financial benefits by November 10.
"I don't know what prompted the unrest. I think vested quarters who want to destroy the country's largest foreign currency earning sector was behind the violence," he alleged.
The BGMEA leaders also sought additional security at the country's industrial areas.
Union leaders condemned the brutal police action and demanded exemplary punishment against the garment owners.
Rokeya Sultana Anju, coordinator of Bangladesh Garments Worker Unity Council, blamed the factory authorities for the latest unrest, as they did not follow the labour laws by not informing the workers before hanging the lay-off notice.
"Police swooped on the workers who were peacefully demonstrating. A fair investigation should be carried out into the incident," she said.
She also said a number of workers have been injured in the clashes and asked the authorities to compensate them.