RMG workers unrest continues

At least 40 ready-made garment (RMG) factories at Ashulia and Gazipur have closed for the day following unabated agitation by readymade garment workers demanding a Tk 8,000 minimum wage.

The workers have been agitating for the past several days, occasionally fighting fierce pitched battles with police.

Two RMG workers reportedly died in such clashes on Monday in Gazipur.

At least 150 people, including pedestrians, were injured in Tuesday's clashes at Ashulia.

Traffic on the Dhaka-Tangail highway has been disrupted since morning because of the trouble.

Police lobbed teargas canisters and fired rubber bullets when workers in Gazipur tried to block the Dhaka-Tangail highway.

Most RMG units in the area have declared a holiday on Tuesday, fearing more violence.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) troopers have been deployed at both Gazipur and Ashulia.

Ashulia

Workers from several factories at Zirabor, Jamgarha, Shimultala and Narsinghapore descended on the streets in the morning, police said.

Witnesses said up to 400 workers from various factories started agitating on arriving for work, hurling stones at nearby factories on the Zirabo-Bishmail road.

Clashes erupted as police intervened.

File Photo

Police fired rubber bullets and lobbed teargas shells to contain the situation, said Industrial police-1 Ashulia zone Inspector Abdus Sattar.

At least 50 people were injured in the skirmish, many of them undergoing treatment local medical centres.

Meanwhile, workers from 15 factories demonstrated on the Dhaka-Tangail highway at Shimultala and Narsinghapore.

Police launched a baton-charge to disperse the workers.

Inspector Sattar said at least 40 factories had declared a holiday after the clashes.

Two platoons of BGB troopers are patrolling the areas, he said.

Gazipur

The scene was almost similar in Gazipur with workers trying to set up a roadblock.

The agitators threw stones at police when they intervened. The police fired several rounds of rubber bullets and tear gas canisters.

RMG workers at Kashimpur's Shardaganj staged demonstrations to protest the death of two fellow workers in clashes with police on Monday.

Gazipur police station Sub-Inspector Jahangir Alam said the GMS Composite factory authorities had hung a notice declaring the unit is closed for the time being.

The workers began agitating on seeing a wage notice with their colleagues from nearby factories joining in.

Most of the RMG units have declared holiday for the day at Konabarhi and Kashimpur areas due to workers' unrest, said the SI Jahangir.

He said three platoons of BGB had been called in to maintain law and order.

Although the RMG owners had agreed to pay Tk 5,300 as the minimum wage at the Prime Minister's intervention, several workers’ bodies are demonstrating at Savar, Ashulia and Gazipur, demanding Tk 8,000 as lowest monthly salary.

The continuous agitation has forced the closure of several factories in these areas.