Bangladesh
Shooting Firing during garment workers protest in Gazipur, women worker killed
Own Correspondent, Dhaka, 9 November 2023: A worker was shot dead during a protest by garment workers in Gazipur. The name of the deceased is Anjuara Khatun (24). Another worker named Jamal Uddin was shot dead.
Rejecting the minimum wage announced on Tuesday, the workers of several garment factories in Konabari and Zarun of Gazipur City Corporation and nearby went on strike on Wednesday. They started protesting after 7 am. Around 12:00 noon and 12:30 noon, two people were brought to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital emergency department with gunshot wounds, and the doctor on duty declared one of them dead.
Jamal Uddin, who was shot, said, I work in Islam Garments. I was shot by the police while going to office in the morning. Later I was first rescued and taken to a local hospital. From there he was brought to Dhaka Medical for advanced treatment. Currently undergoing treatment in the emergency department.
Bachchu Mia, Inspector in charge of DMK Hospital Police Camp, said that two people came to Dhaka Medical Center with bullet wounds from Konabari area of Gazipur. Among them, a woman named Anjuara Begum of Islam Garments was declared dead by the doctor. Jamal Uddin, who was shot, is undergoing treatment in the emergency department.
The workers of various factories around Gazipur including Konabari, Kashimpur, Safipur and Mouchak have been agitating for a long time demanding a minimum salary of 23 thousand taka. On Tuesday, the wage board proposed a minimum wage of Tk 12,500 for garment workers. Later, the workers announced to continue the agitation by rejecting the salary announced by the wage board.
From Wednesday morning, when the workers of Standard Garments Limited, Ripon Knitwear Limited, Islam Garments and Bestall Sweaters in Konabari area started protesting in front of the factory without attending work, the authorities declared the factory holiday. At around 8 am, hundreds of workers gathered in front of Kashimpur's Zarun intersection and started marching with bricks and sticks. At one point, workers blocked various roads and set fire to wood and tires. Apart from this, they tried to vandalize various vehicles. At one point, the agitated workers pelted bricks and stones at the police, and the police fired tear shells and sound grenades to control the situation. Later the agitated workers dispersed and proceeded towards Hatimara via Roshan Market.
