A clash erupted between the workers from two readymade garment factories in the Chakraborty area of Kashimpur in Gazipur on Monday, leaving at least five people injured.
During the clash, the workers set fire to and vandalised a readymade garment factory and two covered vans.
The situation was later brought under control by the members of police and army. The fire fighters from four units of Kaliakoir and Dhaka EPZ Fire Service put out the fire at the factory.
According to the police and local sources, workers from several factories in the Beximco Industrial Park in Chakraborty area have been staging protest demanding unpaid wages by blocking the highway for the past two days.
Beximco workers on Monday again blocked the highway around 8:30am for the third consecutive day, insisting on the payment of outstanding wages of October.
Meanwhile in the morning, workers of the nearby Doreen Fashion Limited found a notice announcing the factory鈥檚 indefinite closure, leading them to protest and demand its reopening.
They took up positions in the Zirani area near Chakraborty and blocked the Chandra-Nabinagar highway.
At the same time, workers from both the Doreen Fashion and Beximco factories blocked the highway and staged demonstration.
Around 11:30am, an altercation broke out between the workers, which escalated into a chase and clash, leaving at least five people injured, who were later treated at a local clinic.
During the clash, some workers entered the nearby Panishail and Kaltasuti areas, attacking local residents.
The locals retaliated, chasing the workers, and several clashes ensued between the factory workers and the local residents.
Meanwhile, workers from Doreen Fashion and Beximco set fire to Amazon Knitwear factory in the East Kaltasuti area.
In the afternoon, the protesting workers set fire to two covered vans parked in front of the local Big Boss factory.
Fire service personnel, with the assistance of the police and locals, managed to extinguish the flames.
After receiving the report, industrial police, local police, and army personnel arrived in the scene and, after about three hours of effort, brought the situation under control.
Kashimpur police station officer-in-charge Saiful Islam said that the members of the army, along with thana and Industrial Police, went to the scene and brought the situation under control.
At around 5:45pm, Industrial Police inspector Md Rafiqul Islam informed that the workers were still blocking the highway.
As a result of the workers鈥� unrest, at least 30 nearby factories have been declared closed on the day.
