BANGLADESH NEWS
Several thousands of readymade garment workers blocked the main road in Double-Mooring area of Chittagong city for nearly four hours on Wednesday protesting the death of a fellow worker in a road accident.
However, the situation came under control after Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Secretary Mainuddin and two ward councilors of Chittagong City Corporation – Mohammad Jahangir Alam and Nazrul Islam – held a meeting with labour leaders and the family of the victim.
Vehicular movement between Tiger Pass intersection and CEPZ intersection on Sheikh Mujib Road resumed around 12:15pm.
Matiul Islam, officer-in-charge of Double-Mooring Police Station, said around 3:25pm, “The situation is normal now but police are still deployed in Agrabad and Banani Complex areas.”
Three RMG workers – Sumi, Hasina and Kamal – and seven policemen were injured during chase and counter-chase between the law enforcers and the protesters.
Four firemen including Jasim Uddin, a deputy assistant director Fire Service and Civil Defence in Chittagong, were injured when the agitating workers resisted them from dousing the burning vehicles.
The agitation sparked when a city service bus crashed Pintu Das, 35, a sewing supervisor at Anwar Dress Makers, in Double-Mooring area around 7:40am on his way to work.
Eye-witnesses said a speeding CEPZ-bound minibus crashed Pintu Das who was on a bicycle opposite to Banani Complex.
“Seeing that, other fellow workers and locals rushed Pintu to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) where doctors declared him dead,” said CMCH Police Outpost Sub-Inspector Jahirul Islam.
As soon as the news spread, several thousands of garment workers came out of their factories and blocked the road in front of their units.
“During their protest, the angry workers torched two minibuses and vandalised four vehicles including fire service water carrying vehicle,” said Md Shahidullah, an assistant commissioner of port zone in Chittagong Metropolitan Police.
Chase and counter-chase also took place between the members of law enforcement agencies and the agitating workers during the blockade.
They also vandalised furniture and windowpanes of the branch office of Jibon Bima Corporation, adjacent to their factories.
“They were saying that police detained two of their fellows inside the building and demanding for their release. We tried to make them understand that nobody was held inside our office but they did not listen and made huge damage to our office,” said Mozammel Haque, manager of Jibon Bima Corporation, adding that, he will file a general diary with the police station.
Around 500 members of law enforcement agencies including Rapid Action Battalion and police were deployed in the area to bring the situation under control.
Ratan Kumar Dhar, general manager of Anwar Dress Makers, told, “We held the bus that hit Pintu and assured his family of getting compensation from his employer. As Pintu had a life insurance so his family will also get some money from the insurance company and our company will recruit one of his family members.”
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