Over 7,000 sued for rioting over RMG pay

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Ten cases were filed with six police stations in and around the capital against over 7,000 people on charges of vandalising garment factories, shopping complexes, vehicles and assault on police that occurred during the strike on Tuesday called by several readymade garment (RMG) workers’ organisations.
Thousands of RMG workers staged violent demonstrations in Dhaka, Savar and Gazipur on Tuesday, vandalising around 100 RMG units and a number of banks, and looting shopping complexes.

Following the incident, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association (BGMEA) threatened to shut down their factories for an indefinite period if the government failed to take stern action within 48 hours against the ones behind the vandalism.

On Tuesday, rampaging workers also beat up the officer-in-charge (OC) of Uttara Police Station severely and snatched his loaded revolver, walkie-talkie and a cellular phone set.

Uttara police raided several places till 8:00pm last night to recover the items snatched from the OC without any success.

Uttara police said four separate cases — one by police and three by aggrieved victims — were filed with them on Tuesday night against around 3,000 garment workers. Of them, 116 were named while the rest were unidentified. Out of the 116 named accused, 13 were arrested during Tuesday’s clashes.

In Pallabi, the police filed one and owners of three RMG factories filed another case with Pallabi Police Station yesterday accusing around 3,000 unidentified garment workers for vandalising factories and vehicles and for assaulting police.

Mirpur, Kafrul, Savar and Ashulia police stations also received one case each where around 1,000 more garment workers were accused of similar charges.

Kafrul police so far arrested six of the nine accused.

Savar police also arrested fifteen suspects while Ashulia police arrested five on Tuesday.

Police produced the arrested before the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Our JU correspondent reports, owners of garment factories vandalised on Tuesday blamed the “unreasonable and rough behaviour” of police that triggered violent demonstrations on Tuesday and caused heavy damages to a number of factories in Savar and Ashulia.

Rejecting the involvement of garment workers in vandalising garment factories and vehicles, the owners complained that workers became violent after the police swooped on the peaceful demonstration of workers without any provocation. The police even did not take any effective measures to protect the garment factories from the agitating workers’ wrath.

Nuruddin Ahmed Sheikh, executive director of Cannon Garments Ltd, held police responsible for the violence and said, “We suffered a loss of about Tk 2 crore as machinery and products were ruined in the attack”.

Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturer and Exporters Association (BKMEA) yesterday expressed concern over Tuesday’s vandalism and looting at different places in the capital.

In a press release, BKMEA secretary Shulabh Chowdhury said the garment workers did not carry out the vandalism. Instead, a number of troublemakers in the name of garments workers were responsible for the offences.

BKMEA also expressed resentment for the inaction of law enforcers during the attack and looting at garment factories.

The BKMEA leader demanded immediate arrest and exemplary punishment to those responsible for Tuesday’s incident. He also called upon the political leaders and responsible section of the society to come forward and save the prime export sector of the country.

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