HTML clipboardStaff Correspondent

At least 10 garments workers were injured Friday morning as the police charged at them with truncheons when the workers rallied at Mirpur Section 1 in Dhaka demanding punishment for the people responsible for the death of a worker.

Mohammad Khokon, 22, a worker of the World Dresses Limited, who was beaten Wednesday night by the factory management on suspicion of being involved in stealing, died in Dhaka Medical College Thursday morning.

Along with Khokon, another worker, Abdul Malek, was beaten. Critically injured, Malek was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital Thursday morning and then was shifted to Orthopaedics Hospital.

The agitated workers on Friday blocked the road stretch from the Mirpur Section 1 crossing to the Technical College point, suspending traffic for two hours and a half till 10:30am.

Witnesses said several hundred workers of the World Dresses Limited, a sister concern of the Vertex Group housed in Khalil Bhaban at Mirpur, gathered at the factory gate at about 7:30am.

As the factory management announced a general holiday, the workers brought out a procession in protest at the killing. They demanded punishment for the people responsible for the death of their fellow.

A large number of law enforces were deployed at the place. The lawmen asked the demonstrators to call off the blockade at about 9:00am. Immediately after, the deployment of lawmen was reinforced.

They started charging at the workers with truncheons at around 9:30am in which 10 workers were injured.

The workers then pelted the lawmen with stones, said Milon, a worker injured in the incident. He said the police fired three teargas shells to disperse the demonstrators, leading to a clash.

The demonstrators left the place at about 10:45am as the Rapid Action Battalion and the joint forces personnel started patrolling the area.

The World Dresses Limited managing director, Osman Gani Talukder, along with former BGMEA vice-president Abdus Salam Morshedi, BGMEA director Golam Sarwar Milon and chief of the BGMEA crisis management cell Khaled Monsur reached the place and held a meeting with the workers in the presence of high police officials at about 11:15am.

After the meeting, Osman Gani announced that the company had already given Tk 1,50,000 to Khokon's family and Tk 350,000 more would be given very soon. He said he would also give Tk 25,000 to Malek for his treatment cost.

He also announced all the workers of the factory would get the attendance and refreshment allowances for Friday. Mirpur zone police deputy commissioner Anwar Hossain said, 'The situation is now under control as the factory management has fulfilled all the demands of the workers.' A government handout, meanwhile, said the situation was under control and 1,800 of the 2,000 joined work.

The handout said the factory management had given a portion of the amount it earlier announced to give to Khokon's family in compensation and the rest of the amount would be given on Saturday.

The insurance money of Tk 1 lakh will be paid in a month. Of the accused, two have been arrested and others will be arrested soon, the handout said. Malek filed a case with the Mirpur police against the factory management in this connection Thursday evening.

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