100 hurt as RMG workers, police clash at DEPZ

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Production in most parts of the Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ) in Savar remained suspended throughout the day yesterday as clashes between garment workers and police left at least 100 people injured.

The fighting broke out as police charged baton on hundreds of workers fuming over unconfirmed reports that one of them was killed Thursday over theft of a cellphone set.

Several hundred workers of Featherlite Ltd, a garment factory, massed at the entrance to the DEPZ extension at around 7:00am, clamouring for recovery of the co-worker’s body.

As the law enforcers prevented them from entering, they marched towards the DEPZ (Old) area. On the way, they were joined by a huge number of fellows from the other factories.

At DEPZ (Old), police clubbed them, leaving several workers injured.

In response, the demonstrators went on the rampage, damaging a number of garment factories in and outside the DEPZ. Besides, they barricaded the Nabinagar-Kaliakoir Road and vandalised seven to eight vehicles.

A-One, Hoplun, Lenny Fashions and Actor Ltd are among the factories damaged inside the DEPZ area.

Chase and counter-chase went on for hours. Police used baton again injuring 40 more workers. More than 10 law enforcers were also injured during the clashes.

Police had to shoot around 35 teargas shells to drive off the marauding crowd and bring the situation under control.

Due to blockade on the road and the fight, most of the garment workers could not join work, leading to suspension of production in most of the factories.

Only 17 out of 88 factories were operative during the time when RMG plants in the nearby areas too remained closed fearing backlash, said DEPZ sources.

Locals said the workers at the Featherlite Ltd erupted in protests Thursday afternoon after rumours spread that the factory authorities had killed Helal, a worker, for stealing a phone set and hidden the body.

As the workers failed to know whereabouts of Helal till late in the evening, they started vandalising the building. Informed, Ashulia police got to the scene immediately and had the situation under control. They sifted through the factory premises for the “body” or evidence but in vain.

The workers, however, claimed that police had recovered a bloodstained shirt during the search.

Motiur Rahman, assistant superintendent of police, told reporters that the story of killing Helal and dumping the body has turned out to be cooked up.

“We are however still trying to trace him [Helal],” he added.

BEPZA Chairman Brig Ashraf Abdullah Yusuf, Savar army camp commander Lt Col Mahbub-ur-Rahman, superintendent of police and other high officials have already visited the scene.

A huge contingent of police and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) were deployed in the area to avert further violence while the army personnel were patrolling the roads and highways near the DEPZ.

Rioting at garment industries in and around Dhaka for eight weeks last year left nearly 400 factories damaged and forced the DEPZ to shut down twice. This has been one of the reasons for the growth in the readymade garment industry, the powerhouse of the country’s export economy, slowing down in recent months.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on June 12 between the government, garment owners and worker leaders to ensure labour rights and peaceful atmosphere in the factories.

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