The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Narayanganj

Unruly garment workers went on the rampage, vandalized factories and locked in clash with army and police personnel here Monday, leaving at least 30 people wounded, including five cops.

Witnesses and official sources said the Fatulla industrial belt and Shibu Market area were rocked by violence as the workers staged protest against retrenchment and demanding withdrawal of cases filed against the workers of Marina Apparels.

The troubles erupted in the morning as a group of garment workers gathered in Post Office Road area about 8am and barricaded the road.

The management of Marina Apparels filed a case against some of its workers on Friday on charge of assaulting the factory owner and officials on Thursday.

Amid the raging unrest, the rioters attacked and damaged 8/10 factories and called these factories' workers to join them in the demonstrations. A number of vehicles were also damaged on Narayanganj Link Road.

As RAB and army troops asked them to calm down, the enraged workers started pelting them with brickbats that triggered chase and counter-chase, the sources said.

"The entire area turned into a veritable battlefield," says an eyewitness account of the clash, one of a few fiercest incidents of unrest in the interim period.

As the news spread, authorities of about 50/60 garment factories in the troubled industrial belt declared leave for their staff members out of apprehension about further outbreaks.

Police reinforcements were called in and deployed in the area.