35 injured: Khulna jute mill workers clash with police

Thousands of desperate workers of four laid-off jute mills took to the streets in Khalishpur industrial district provoking police to open teargas shells and rubber bullets that left at least 35 people wounded on Saturday afternoon.

Police picked up 50 people from the troubled spots, what they said for interrogation.

Workers of the mills stopped work and have been agitating since April 15 demanding arrear dues. This compelled BJMC to declare those laid-off on Thursday throwing 12,000 workers jobless.

Agitating workers started assembling at the gates of laid off Platinum, Crescent, Star and Peoples Jute Mills since Saturday morning. Police did not allow them to bring out procession. But at about 2 pm they broke the police cordon and brought out procession chanting various slogans and demanding arrear dues.

Joint forces' chief in Khulna district Lt Col Esrat tried in vain to calm the angry workers who told him that their families were going hungry in the absence of payment for the last five months. They pleaded for payment and opening of the mills.

About 500 students of schools within three laid off mills also brought out procession today in support of their guardians.

Because of workers' agitation Khalishpur industrial district is experiencing undeclared hartal Saturday. The shops are closed. Except few rickshaws, no vehicles moved through the area. Tension prevailed in the entire industrial belt and workers colonies.

Meanwhile, BJMC chairman Ataharul Islam in Dhaka told UNB that he was aware of the situation in Khulna. He expressed the hope of meeting the workers' demand partially within five or six days.

"We have requested the government for funds to overcome the situation. Hopefully we will get money in 5/6 days for partial payment of dues. Lay off may be withdrawn after payment to workers," he said.

Islam agreed the jute mills should not suffer from such problems when those in neighbouring country are running well with raw jute imported from Bangladesh.

"But our problems are long accumulated. Heavy bank loans with interest, lack of necessary working capital and low worker-productivity ratio are the main factors that bedeviled our mills."

But the workers blame the highhandedness and corruption of BJMC that bedeviled all the 22 mills owned by the government.