At least 22 people, including two TV cameramen, were injured as readymade garment (RMG) workers clashed with police in Board Bazar area of Gazipur Sadar upazila on Monday, reports UNB.

Police sources and workers said a group of RMG workers of Unigears factory had been demonstrating for several days demanding that attendance incentive and tiffin bill be included in their wages.

The workers took to the streets and blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway for one and a half hours in the morning as the authorities announced the factory closed from Monday not accepting their demands.

On information, a team of industrial police rushed in and baton-charged, forcing the workers to move off the highway.

Later, the workers threw brick chips targetting police, triggering a clash and a chase and counter-chase.

Later, police fired several rounds of teargas canisters, leaving 20 people injured.

Two cameramen of GTV and Independent TV were also injured in a police action while filming video footage of the incident.

Production at 15 Gazipur RMG units halted

Production at 15 readymade garment factories in Gazipur on the outskirts of the capital was suspended for Saturday following a clash between workers and police.

At least 50 people including 12 cops were injured during the clash, reported our Gazipur correspondent.

Police said the clash ensued around 10:00am when several thousand readymade garment workers started demonstration blocking Kaliakoir-Nabinagar road in Panishail area.

The demonstration is a sequel to Thursday’s incident, said Shah Mohammad, an assistant sub-inspector at Gazipur Industrial Police.

On Thursday, a group of workers beat up an official of Machhihata Sweater Factory during an altercation over their demand for a pay hike, he said.

During Saturday’s demonstration, around 4,000 agitating workers vandalised the window panes of nearby factories around 9:00am.

The Machhihata workers came out of their unit and urged the workers of adjoining factories to join them, said ASI Shah Mohammad.

Around 10:30am, nearly 12,000 workers of seven factories blocked the Kaliakoir-Nabinagar road and hurled brick chips towards police who tried to disperse the agitators.

Police lobbed teargas shells and several rounds of rubber bullet to disperse the demonstrators, the police official said.

Later, the agitators fled away as additional forces of police rushed to the spot.

The traffic became normal around 1:00pm, said Shah Mohammad added.

To avoid further violence, the owners of 15 adjacent factories suspended production and declared their units closed for Saturday, he said.