RMG workers block Dhaka-Sylhet highway, clash with cops

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A few thousand garment workers yesterday clashed with police and barricaded Dhaka-Sylhet Highway at Kanchpur for over three hours causing untold sufferings to people heading home for Eid holidays.

The workers of Joya Garments at Kanchpur also set fire to a police pickup van during the clash that left at least 35 people, including 10 policemen, injured.

Several hundred vehicles were stuck in queues well over seven kilometres long due to the barricaded highway.

Earlier, the workers staged demonstration inside their factory demanding their wages and festival bonuses. They first clashed with factory staffers and then attacked the Ansar camp inside the factory. At one stage, they took to the highway.

Witnesses said around 3,000 workers of the factory barricaded the highway around 3:00pm.

Police charged truncheons to disperse the workers after failing to convince them to remove the barricade.

When police charged truncheons on the workers, the workers became more violent and vandalised at least 15 vehicles and set fire to the police pick-up van of Rupganj Police Station. They also pelted police with brickbats.

The police took shelter inside a neighbouring factory which was also damaged by the workers of Joya Garments.

Witnesses said during the clash and demonstration, the workers chanted slogans against the garment authorities.

Additional police from Dhaka reinforced the policemen in clash with the workers and forced them to leave the spot. They reopened the highway for traffic.

A number of Joya Garments employees yesterday said the factory was scheduled to pay their 20 days’ salary for this month and the festival bonus. But the authorities told them that they would pay workers only half of their salaries and bonuses.

They alleged that police favouring the factory authorities attacked them.

Sources said senior police officials had a meeting with the garment authorities who assured them that the workers would get full payment.

Joya Garments Production Manager Abul Kalam said the authorities already started paying the workers in full in the evening.

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