Bangladesh: Four Workers Killed by Police Bullets in Chittagong Export Zone

Garment workers clash with law enforcers and burn a bus at Chittagong Export Processing Zone gate yesterday. The shockwave sent ripples through the entire apparel sector forcing many factories to close. Photo: Aunrup Kanti Das

Thanks to entdnglichung for this.

“Unruly garment workers clashed with law enforcers in Chittagong, Dhaka and Narayanganj out of grievances over wage yesterday leaving at least four people dead and 200 others injured.

The four including a garment worker and a rickshaw-puller were killed during a five-hour clash in and around Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ). The identity of the other two remained unknown. Labourers of other factories also joined the garment workers.

Police fired 600 rounds of bullet and 150 teargas canisters to disperse the agitating workers in the three places. They picked up at least 65 people including 30 in the port city.

The workers pelted law enforcers with brickbats and stones. They also damaged 11 garment factories and 20 roadside buildings.

The protesters set five vehicles ablaze and damaged 90 more bringing traffic on Chittagong Airport Road, Dhaka Airport Road and Dhaka-Sylhet Highway to a halt for hours.

The clashes led to the closure of the entire CEPZ in the morning and suspension of production at three factories in Dhaka and another in Narayanganj. The CEPZ houses 156 factories with 1,54,000 workers.

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Earlier, the workers of Youngone Ltd took to the streets demanding reinstatement of a „temporary“ Tk 250 food allowance that the management withheld when it started paying the new minimum wage, said an official of the company.”