50 injured as Gazipur RMG workers clash with cops

50 injured as Gazipur RMG workers clash with cops
At least 50 people were injured, including an additional police super, in a clash between garments workers and police in Gazipur following a road accident that injured a fellow worker.
Police said Shafiq, a worker of Mohammadia Garments, was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital after he was injured by a bus in front of the garment factory beside Dhaka-Gazipur Highway at about 7:45am.
But a rumour spread in his garment factory that Shafiq was killed in the accident.
Hearing the news, the agitated workers took to the street and damaged several vehicles blockading the highway.
Chase and counter-chase started among the workers when Mohammadia Garments workers tried to call out the workers of the other factories to join them.
At one stage, clash between the workers and police ensued when the law enforcers came to quell them, leaving 20 people, including ASP Zihadul Alam, injured.
Later, police used tear gas shells to bring the situation under control.
Besides, at least 30 workers of different garments were injured while trying to rush out of their factories hearing of the worker-police clash.
Transport movement resumed on the highway after nearly two and an half hours with intervention of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and police.
Some of the injured were admitted to Gazipur General Hospital.