Industrial Riot Spreads Out In Bangladesh

[jhora`pata]

Savar, Bd: Angry garment workers set fire to seven textile factories in and around the capital Tuesday after news that an employee shot in the back during recent protests over better pay and working conditions had died, officials and witnesses said.
The 20-year-old man, identified only as Rana, was one of about 100 people injured Monday when thousands of textile workers clashed with factory guards and security forces, police official Kamrul Islam said.

News of his death sparked more violence as thousands of textile workers took to the streets in Savar, an industrial zone near Dhaka, and the scene of Monday's clashes, witnesses said.

Mobs of angry workers, many of them armed with iron rods and sticks, set fire to at least seven factories in Savar and Dhaka, according to private TV channel ATN Bangla.

Dozens of people were injured as security forces swung batons to try to prevent the rampaging workers from smashing and burning passing vehicles, said Nazmul Huda, a local reporter in Savar. The protesters also blocked the roads with pieces of scrap metal, he said.

The protests spread to the capital, where workers blocked busy roads and ransacked several factories — looting buildings and burning cars — in an industrial area in downtown Dhaka. They also threw stones at police and firefighters who tried to control the situation, according to ATN Bangla.

The protests created huge traffic snarls in Dhaka, a city of 10 million people, and its neighboring areas.

On Monday, workers set fire to two factories and several buses in Savar during a protest to demand better pay and working conditions, police and witnesses said.

At least 100 people, including several police, were injured when factory guards and riot police intervened to disperse the protesters, witnesses said.

Rampaging workers also damaged several buses and cars after barricading a major highway to the capital, and ransacked dozens of smaller factories, police officer Jamiruddin Sheikh said.

The workers started demonstrating after authorities failed to meet their demands, which include higher wages and benefits, one day off per week and an end to forced overtime, said labor leader Belayet Hossain.

Workers are often forced to work seven days a week or late into the night to meet production deadlines, Hossain added.

"We have joined the protest as we are paid pittance for our hard work," said Kamal Hussain, a garment worker who was demonstrating with about 100 others in Uttara, just outside Dhaka.

A textile worker earns about $22 a month in Bangladesh. Hossain said they were seeking at least a 30 percent raise.

The rioting apparently started when authorities at some factories tried to stop their workers from joining the unscheduled protest.

Some workers also alleged that the protesters attacked their factories and beat them up for refusing to join in the demonstration, worker Lailee Begum said.

Textile factory owners, meanwhile, launched their own demonstration in downtown Dhaka to protest Monday's incident and demand better security for their factories.

The owners blamed a motivated section of workers for instigating the violence, and urged authorities to deploy the army at factories and investigate the attacks, according to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

Several factories that mostly make garments for export were shut down following the rioting, and extra police were deployed in the area.

Meanwhile, the government promised better security for the factories.

"The government will do whatever necessary for the protection of the garment industry," junior Interior Minister Lutfuzzaman Babar said after Tuesday's violence.

Bangladesh has about 2,500 garment factories employing about 1.8 million workers, mostly women.

The impoverished country earns about $6 billion annually from textile exports, mainly to the United States and Europe, according to Bangladesh's Export Promotion Bureau.

.. Published in Yahoo by Angry garment workers set fire to seven textile factories in and around the capital Tuesday after news that an employee shot in the back during recent protests over better pay and working conditions had died, officials and witnesses said.
The 20-year-old man, identified only as Rana, was one of about 100 people injured Monday when thousands of textile workers clashed with factory guards and security forces, police official Kamrul Islam said.

News of his death sparked more violence as thousands of textile workers took to the streets in Savar, an industrial zone near Dhaka, and the scene of Monday's clashes, witnesses said.

Mobs of angry workers, many of them armed with iron rods and sticks, set fire to at least seven factories in Savar and Dhaka, according to private TV channel ATN Bangla.

Dozens of people were injured as security forces swung batons to try to prevent the rampaging workers from smashing and burning passing vehicles, said Nazmul Huda, a local reporter in Savar. The protesters also blocked the roads with pieces of scrap metal, he said.

The protests spread to the capital, where workers blocked busy roads and ransacked several factories — looting buildings and burning cars — in an industrial area in downtown Dhaka. They also threw stones at police and firefighters who tried to control the situation, according to ATN Bangla.

The protests created huge traffic snarls in Dhaka, a city of 10 million people, and its neighboring areas.

On Monday, workers set fire to two factories and several buses in Savar during a protest to demand better pay and working conditions, police and witnesses said.

At least 100 people, including several police, were injured when factory guards and riot police intervened to disperse the protesters, witnesses said.

Rampaging workers also damaged several buses and cars after barricading a major highway to the capital, and ransacked dozens of smaller factories, police officer Jamiruddin Sheikh said.

The workers started demonstrating after authorities failed to meet their demands, which include higher wages and benefits, one day off per week and an end to forced overtime, said labor leader Belayet Hossain.

Workers are often forced to work seven days a week or late into the night to meet production deadlines, Hossain added.

"We have joined the protest as we are paid pittance for our hard work," said Kamal Hussain, a garment worker who was demonstrating with about 100 others in Uttara, just outside Dhaka.

A textile worker earns about $22 a month in Bangladesh. Hossain said they were seeking at least a 30 percent raise.

The rioting apparently started when authorities at some factories tried to stop their workers from joining the unscheduled protest.

Some workers also alleged that the protesters attacked their factories and beat them up for refusing to join in the demonstration, worker Lailee Begum said.

Textile factory owners, meanwhile, launched their own demonstration in downtown Dhaka to protest Monday's incident and demand better security for their factories.

The owners blamed a motivated section of workers for instigating the violence, and urged authorities to deploy the army at factories and investigate the attacks, according to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

Several factories that mostly make garments for export were shut down following the rioting, and extra police were deployed in the area.

Meanwhile, the government promised better security for the factories.

"The government will do whatever necessary for the protection of the garment industry," junior Interior Minister Lutfuzzaman Babar said after Tuesday's violence.

Bangladesh has about 2,500 garment factories employing about 1.8 million workers, mostly women.

The impoverished country earns about $6 billion annually from textile exports, mainly to the United States and Europe, according to Bangladesh's Export Promotion Bureau.

.. Published In Yahoo News by By JULHAS ALAM, Associated Press Writer.

[Icy]

Though its collected.. But I better say.. Really really awesome cover..

[jhora`pata]

Marauders set fire to or ransacked numerous factories and cars as industrial riot spread from Savar through the apparel hubs in the capital and its outskirts Tuesday in a dangerous backlash as another worker died following Monday’s EPZ mayhem.
Several factories torched, 25 vehicles vandalized in fresh violence

Workers put up barricades on roads, stage violent protest after bullet injured worker dies following police firing.

Savar garment workers call strike today.

Marauders set fire to or ransacked numerous factories and cars as industrial riot spread from Savar through the apparel hubs in the capital and its outskirts Tuesday in a dangerous backlash as another worker died following Monday’s EPZ mayhem.

The government called out paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles troops to quell the violent rioting, official sources said.

Medical sources gave the identity of the victim as Rana, 20, who died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital early Tuesday, stoking up the unrest prevailing since Monday’s clashes.

Another worker died Monday night. They were among over 100 people, including workers and law-enforcers, injured in massive violence in and outside Dhaka Export Processing Zone at Savar.

“The capital looked like caught in a deadlock as the enraged garment workers took to street at bout 8:30am at different points of the city and went on the rampage damaging or setting fire to vehicles and factories,” roving UNB reporters said in a firsthand account of the reigning anarchy.

They set fire to 17 vehicles, including two imposing modern double-deckers of European Volvo brand, at Mirpur, Pallabi and Kafrul-and the orgies fast spread like forest fires to other labor-intensive areas in and around the capital.

A number of people, including Kafrul thana officer-in-charge of police, were injured during the violent demonstrations as the protestors, armed with stones and sticks, clashed with the law-enforcers in action in their abortive bid to come to grips with the fearful situation.

In a scene of vandalism many said never ever before seen in this country’s productive arena, a band of rioters also attacked Samah Razor Blade factory in Tejgaon industrial area at about 10:30am, damaged and set ablaze its machinery and looted valuable machines.

Before leaving the wrecked factory, they also set fire to eight cars parked on the premises of the industrial unit.

Factory Manager (Procurement) Mozammel claimed the attackers damaged and looted machines worth over Tk 20 crore.

Another car was burnt in front of National Shooting Complex at Gulshan at noon.

As anarchy reigned supreme, traffic on Savar-Ashulia and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways came to a halt as the workers put up barricades at different places on the busy routes. That virtually turned Dhaka into a besieged city.

Sufferings of the HSC examinees knew no bounds as roads to the exam centers were blockaded for long hours. Many of them could not reach their exam centers in time.

In Gazipur, unruly demonstrators set three garment factories ablaze and damaged about 10 other factories and at least 100 vehicles.

The fire-damaged export industries are Muajjem Knitting, Tushka Garments, and Tamijuddin Textiles.

Some 20-kilometre stretch from Konabari to Duttapara on the highway looked like a “veritable battlefield” as the garment workers and law-enforcers chased and counter-cased each other, leaving over 100 injured.

In a desperate cry for safety and security of their businesses the garment-factory owners and exporters also came out on the street and began squatting at the crossroads near Sonargaon Hotel. They demanded “immediate deployment of army” to face the exigencies.

The current spate of violence started off with FS Sweater factory at Gazipur a few days back, where one worker was killed in police firing during massive unrest.

The entrepreneurs lamented that the sudden outburst of unrest dealt a deadlier blow to the country’s main export-earning sector-readymade garments-than the one stemming from quota abolition through the expiry of MFA on the international market.

On the other side, the protesting workers complained of deprivation from their just salaries and allowances as well as holidays.

--UNB, BDNEWS

[jhora`pata]

taken by Pavel Rohman.

[jigSAW]

This has been a regular practice in Bangladesh for a long time now to become agitated and unruly as soon as any outbreak happens. Bombblast followed by series of the same, University clash followed a series too, same goes for Electricity crisis. no wonder! Garments clash is indifference as well!


But there are some questions that need to be answered:

1> GDP growth shows increase of 18% (approx.) in Export since Quota has been withdrawn, Garments Industry is in top list of success. Who will benefit from ruining this fast growing industry?

2> Salary increase and other benefit lackings are the cause behind this Violence. How come no Women Garment Worker participated in this clash? since 65% (approx.) Garment Workers, i.e. majority is female?

3> Only Compliant garments were effected by this clash, why?

4> Government and Opposition party did not blame each other directly, for the first time in this regard. Then who are doing this?

[DyingSoul]

well..ami eto kicu jani na...
sudhu ei tikui bolbo..personally i m d sufferer today of this riot...
ajk varsity theke (banani) bashay (agargaon) ashte ami je suffer ta korci..no need 2 talk abt it...
almost all d raods were blocked..kono pub bus nai..kono rickshwa 2 kothao jete chay na..n d CNG drivers..they r f**kin...30/40 tk'r vara ask 2 pay them 80/90tk..abt 2hrs lagce bashay ashte....
i hate it....

[jhora`pata]

.... with in the last 2 days Bd lost the order of 35 crore tk in garments sector and those order is taken by India n Pakistan....

... i dont know wht may happen next days ....

[BaNNa]

ajke onek gula paper dekhlam.. tana dui din jerokom tandob chollo...obak hoisi...but eita shohojei bujha jai eita ekta uddeshsho pronodito ghotona...coz ekta mill er prob silo...jar jonno ekadhare ajaira eto gula factory destroy korar kothana...ar jara tandob chalaise eder onekei kono factory er labour na...just michhil ar vangchur korte ashche...eto gari vangchur ar eto factory destroy er record hoilo ebar...