50 injured in Savar clash

A clash in Savar spun out of control and left at least 50 people injured on Sunday.

Savar Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 24 Nov 2013, 05:47 AM
Updated : 24 Nov 2013, 10:56 AM

At least 30 vehicles were damaged when agitated RMG workers attacked the local Fire Service office at Ulail area.

Traffic at the Dhaka-Aricha highway was suspended for two hours as the workers blocked it and set fire to a motor-cycle.

Sub-inspector Omar Faruk of Savar's Industrial Police unit said that the police had to fire rubber-bullets and lob tear-gas canisters to bring the situation under control.

Savar Fire Service's station officer Khalilur Rahman said that the workers had looted the office and staff quarters of the Fire Station after causing much damage to them.

Witnesses said a bus--carrying workers of Al-Muslim garments--rammed in to the footpath in front of the Savar Fire Station around 8am at Ulail bus stop in Savar.

Workers in the bus claimed that some of their colleagues were manhandled by firefighters.

Hundreds of workers from nearby garment factories came out and attacked the fire station, spurred by rumours that a female garment worker had been tortured by the firemen.

The agitated workers damaged three fire service vehicles and attacked the office as well the staff quarters in the fire station compound.

Clashes erupted when police arrived, firing rubber-bullets and lobbing tear-gas canisters to disperse the workers on the rampage.

The workers then blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway where they damaged a few vehicles to close down traffic.

Clashes broke out once again when the police tried to lift the blockade.

Locals said at least 50 people were injured during the clashes.

Savar Industrial Police's SI Omar Faruk told bdnews24.com traffic resumed on the highway around 10.30am after being disrupted for two hours.

There was no official confirmation of the rumour of a female worker being tortured.

"I was not at the fire station. I rushed after getting the news of attack," said station officer Khalilur Rahman of Savar Fire Service.

Meanwhile, management of Al-Muslim Group declared their factories closed for the day following the clashes.

"The situation is now calm. But we are looking in to what really happened," Savar Model Police Station OC Mostafa Kamal told bdnews24.com.

Additional police forces with water-cannons and riot cars have been deployed in the area to avert any more trouble.