Garment worker dies of bullet wound sustained in Gazipur clash

Jalal Uddin, 42, was shot four days ago during a clash between garment workers and police

Garment worker Jalal Uddin, who was shot four days ago during a clash between protesting garment workers and police in Gazipur, has died.

The 42-year-old breathed his last on Saturday night while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said Md Bachchu Mia, inspector of the DMCH Police Outpost.

Another garment worker, 24-year-old Anjuara Khatun, had previously died at the same hospital after sustaining injuries in the clash on Nov 8. The total death toll from the clash now stands at two.

Jalal was a supervisor at Islam Garments in Gazipur. Anjuara was a sewing machine operator at the same factory.

Garment factory workers have been protesting in Gazipur, Savar, Ashulia, and Dhaka for the past few weeks, demanding an increase in wages. Despite the government's announcement of increasing the minimum wage from Tk 8,000 to Tk 12,500, some workers carried on with the protests, demanding a wage between Tk 23,000-25,000.

As part of this demand, workers from several factories in Gazipur protested again on Wednesday and later clashed with the police.

Jalal was shot in Konabari's Jarun area on his way to work. Inspector Bachchu said that his body was at the hospital morgue.