Traffic resumed on the road from Mirpur-14 to the Cantonment around 11:30am
Published : 31 Oct 2024, 12:23 PM
Garment workers protesting over unpaid wages have set fire to an army vehicle and a police truck in Dhaka's Kachukhet area.
Two people were also injured by gunfire after protesters clashed with security forces on Thursday morning.
Informed of the fire, two firefighting units were dispatched to the scene at 9:52am to put out the flames, according to Abdus Samad Azad, a Fire Service Control Room operator.
"The fire has been extinguished and we’ll have more details once we receive a report from the field," he said.
Witnesses and law enforcement said that the demonstration began around 8:30am when workers from several factories, including Diana Garments, descended on the streets, blocking traffic from Mirpur-14 to the cantonment.
Police and army personnel subsequently arrived to disperse the protesters.The situation escalated into clashes as protesters began throwing stones at law enforcement. Around 9:45am, the demonstrators set fire to the vehicles, which were soon extinguished by the Fire Service.
Jhuma Akhter, 15, and Al Amin, 17, were shot during the clash and taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) around 11:30am, according to Md Faruk, chief of the DMCH Police Outpost.
"Jhuma was shot in the right leg, and Al Amin was hit in the shoulder. Jhuma received first aid, while Al Amin is still receiving treatment," he said.
Abdur Rahman, Al Amin’s father, said that his son, a worker at Sentex Fashion Garments, was caught in the commotion after his factory dismissed employees early due to the unrest.
"As he was leaving, he was struck by a gunshot," he added.
"We were on the streets from the morning to manage the situation. The workers suddenly began throwing stones at the police and army during their protest. They later set fire to the army and police vehicles," said Shah Mohammad Faisal, chief of Vashantek Police Station.
"Workers from several factories were observing a work stoppage. They later took to the streets and began throwing stones at police. Law enforcement resorted to force to contain the situation. As far as we know, the workers set the vehicles on fire," said Deputy Commissioner Maksudur Rahman of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Mirpur Division.
Around 11:00am, a few men were detained and taken away in a police vehicle for questioning. "They will be interrogated and if they're found not to have been involved [in the violence], they will be released," said Maksudur.
By 11:30am, traffic had resumed on the road from Mirpur 14 to the Cantonment, as police and army tow trucks removed the burnt vehicles.