SAVAR: Two garment workers’ death triggered massive labour unrest in Savar and Gazipur areas Monday, leaving over 50 people wounded and a factory and vehicles ransacked.      

Police and witnesses said over 50 people were injured as hordes of workers ran riot ransacking their factory at Savar and clashed with police over the death of a co-worker.

Witnesses said the clash erupted when police fired rubber bullets and teargas shells to disperse the protestors who retaliated with brickbats. The police-worker rioting left 50 people wounded, including 10 cops.

Police and witnesses said the workers of Vertex factory in Rajphulbaria area went on the rampage at noon getting the news of the death of quality inspector Humayun Kabir, 30.  

Humayun fell sick and died on the way while being taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, they added.

Savar thana OC Mahbubur Raman said the workers burst into action and ransacked the factory presuming that Humayun was tortured to death.

He also claimed, “Workers attacked the police as we tried to bring the situation under control.”

In another flare-up in Gazipur, garment workers blockaded the Dhaka-Tangail highway and vandalized vehicles at Telirchala of Kaliakoir following the death of a worker in a road accident in the morning.

The deceased was identified as line chief of local Standard Sweater Factory Abdur Rouf, 35, son of the late Moktar Master of Kudbandi village of Kazipur in Sirajganj.

Konabari highway police camp SI Hasan Ali said a Dhaka-bound bus ran over Abdur Rouf at 6:30am when he was on the way to office. He died on the spot.

The situation was brought under control at 7am, he added.

A case was filed with Kaliakoir thana in this connection.

BDST: 1900 HRS, 26 JULY 2010