At least 20 people were injured after agitated apparel workers clashed with police in the BSCIC Industrial Area of Tongi in Gazipur on Tuesday morning.
Earlier, workers of Tivoli Apparels Limited had been observing a work abstention on January 29 to protest the humiliation of Ripa Akter, a worker at the finishing section, by her Production Manager Lutfar Rahman.
They also placed a 12-point demand to the authorities in this regard.
As the workers continued their work abstention, the authorities shut the factory for an indefinite period on Monday night.
On Tuesday morning, the workers found their factory closed and started staging demonstrations demanding the factory be opened.
They also called workers of the adjacent factories to join their demonstrations.
As the situation deteriorated, the authorities of the factories shut their operations.
Police said they fired rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas shells to bring the situation under control.
The injured were taken to Shaheed Ahsan Ullah Master General Hospital.
Garment workers Monirul Islam, 24, Sakhina Akter, 18, Zia, 25, and Taslima, 26, sustained bullet-wounds in the clash and were shifted to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.
Additional police personnel have been deployed in the area to fend off any unwarranted incident.
Gazipur Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Iltutmish said the workers of Tivoli Apparels Limited vandalised several factories.
As police resisted them, they pelted brick chips at the law enforcers while police fired tear gas shells and stun grenades to calm the situation, he added.
