DHAKA: A day after labour representatives agreed to the newly announced wage structure for garment workers, massive unrest again rocked the export industrial zones in Savar and Narayanganj Monday.

Witnesses and official sources said clashes between workers who stuck to their demand for further pay hike and huge contingents of law-enforcers in the two areas left at least 85 people wounded, including 12 cops.

The garment workers in the morning took to the street and blocked key roads in those areas, rejecting the new minimum wage at Tk 3000.

Over 35 workers were wounded at Ashulia in a clash that erupted between the workers and law-enforcers, reports banglanews24.com.bd correspondent Zahidur Rahman from the scene of chaos.

Workers of GL Sweater and Iris Fashions in Jirabo area of Ashulia kicked up dust on Jirabo-Bismile road at 9 am and halted vehicle movement after finding ‘holiday’ notices in front of the gates of the closed factories in the morning.

“The workers threw brickbats at police and, in reply, police fired teargas shells and rubber bullets to disperse them, leaving at least 35 people injured,” says a spot account of the pitched battles.

At the time, RAB personnel held seven agitators from the spot, said police sources.

Earlier in the morning, workers of HR Textile in Ulile area of Savar blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway, but they were dispersed by police intervention.

Authorities of most of the garment factories in Ashulia area announced holiday on Sunday night in the wake of recurrent violence, as they feared further trouble.

Later additional police were deployed in the area to avert any untoward situation.

In another development in Narayanganj, over 50 people, including 12 cops, were injured in a clash between police and workers and an alleged attack on workers by factory owners’ people.

Traffic on the Dhaka-Narayanganj link road in Narayanganj came to a halt in the morning as the RMG workers put barricades on the road, demanding Tk 5,000 as minimum monthly pay, reports our Narayanganj correspondent.

According to witnesses, about ten thousand workers of different garment factories, including Metro Garment Factory and Micro Fiber Garment Factory, started gathering on the road in Fatullah at about 9am. At one stage, they added, the workers went on the rampage when they were attacked allegedly by some members of ‘Kailla Gesu’ group.

“Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on both sides of the road following the unrest,” says a spot report.

A fierce clash ensued when the law-enforcers acted to break up the throngs of squatters who blocked the Dhaka-Narayanganj link road.

Workers threw brick chips at the police and the clash ensued as police fired teargas shells and rubber bullets and charged baton on them, leaving at least 50, including 12 cops, injured, said witnesses and police.  

Additional police have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order.

The workers` representatives Sunday at a meeting with ministers, lawmakers, chamber leaders and garment owners at the BGMEA office in the capital agreed to the new wage scale for the garment sector and pledged cooperation to ensure normal working environment in industrial areas.

BDST: 1340 HRS, 2 Aug 2010