Garment factory attacked for not joining protest

 
A garment factory in Gazipur's Kaliakair Upazila has allegedly been attacked and vandalised by workers from nearby factories for refusing to join a protest.

Two workers were injured during the incident.

The attack occurred on Wednesday morning at Lavender Garment Limited in Kamrangirchala, according to AKM Zahirul Islam, superintendent of police for Gazipur Industrial Area, bdnews24 reports.

He said, "The workers of Lavender Garments Limited did not participate in a protest on Tuesday, and [on Wednesday], workers from nearby factories launched the attack and vandalised the factory.

"Police have been deployed in the area surrounding the factory."

Upazila Executive Officer, or UNO, Kawsar Ahammed and Kaliakair Police Station chief Riyad Mahmud visited the site.
According to workers, on Monday, Zahirul Islam, a worker from Libas Textile Limited in Safipur, was returning home after work when a group of muggers tried to snatch his phone and money in the Nischintapur area.

When Zahirul resisted, they stabbed him, leaving him critically injured. He was hospitalised but succumbed to his injuries.
Following the news of his death, workers from the factory staged a protest on Tuesday, blocking the Dhaka-Tangail highway and demanding the arrest of those responsible.

The blockade caused severe traffic congestion on both sides of the highway.

Police from the Industrial Police and local station intervened to restore order and normalise traffic. During the protest, workers called on employees of Lavender Garment to join their demonstration.

However, the workers at Lavender Garments did not respond, prompting the agitated protesters to pelt the factory with brickbats. The situation turned tense on Wednesday when workers from nearby factories stormed the factory's premises around 9:30am.

They broke down the main gate and entered the factory, causing damage and looting the property.

Upon receiving the news, the army, Industrial Police, and local police arrived to control the situation.

Injured workers were rushed to Kaliakair Upazila Health Complex by their colleagues.