Production at most units suspended for today; workers vandalise several RMG units; Ashulia-Baipail road blocked
Angry
garment workers resist a CNG-run three-wheeler from plying in Ashulia
on Wednesday during their protest demanding punishment of those
responsible for Saturday's fire that claimed the lives of 111 people.
Production
at most of the readymade garments factories in Ashulia zone was
suspended for Wednesday as workers ran amok and clashed with police
demanding justice and safety at workplace.At least 20 people were injured during the clash that started around 9:30am, four days after a fire tragedy at the Tazreen Fashions Ltd at Nischintapur in Ashulia had claimed the lives of 111 workers.
The marauding workers also vandalised a number of factories including a unit of Azmat Group in Amtola and torched two motor cycles there.
Transport movement on the Dhaka-Tangail highway and Ashulia-Baipail road remain suspended following the vandalism and clash, said Moktar Hossain, deputy directory of Industrial Police in Ashulia.
Authorities of most of the garment factories suspended their production for today (Wednesday) fearing further vandalism, Moktar said.
Police had to fire several rounds of teargas shells and the incidents of chase and counter-chase were going on when this report was filed around 12:30pm.
Police said the clash ensued when around 20,000 workers of a garments unit of Ha-Meem Group came out of their factory around 9:30am following an electric short circuit on its premises. They immediately started demonstrating.
Panic seized the workers as the memory of the devastating fire of Tazreen Fashions Ltd is still fresh in their minds and the building of Ha-Meem group is adjacent to the fire-devastated factory.
Few minutes later, workers of some nearby factories also joined the Ha-Meem workers and they blocked the Ashulia-Baipail road around 9:40am.
During the demonstration, the agitated workers swooped on some roadside factories, which were continuing their production.
Later, the workers marched towards Dhaka-Tangail highway around 10:30am and blocked it.
They also pelted brick chips and vandalised window panes and gates of those garments units and torched the motor cycles inside the factory of Azmat Group around 11:40am.
On information, police rushed to the spot and tried to resist the workers that led to the clashes at different points on the road.
Nuruzzaman, a driver of Sharmin Garment Factory which also came under attack, said among the workers he saw at least 20 people wearing lungis, an indication that outsiders joined the aggrieved workers.
They did not look like garments workers, he told our reporter who was on the spot.
Meanwhile, two Ha-Meem group workers fainted in fear of fire after an electric short circuit occurred at the seventh floor of the factory.
The duo was taken to the medical and child care centre of Ha-Meem Group adjacent to the factory building where they received treatment.
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