A case has been filed against 700-800 people over vandalism, arson and the death of a garment worker during the ongoing strike called by the readymade garment workers to press home their demand for wage hikes.
Amid the workers' unrest in the garment sector, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members have been deployed in Gazipur to step up security for the RMG factories.
Golzar Hossen, a security guard of ABM Fashion Ltd situated in Konabari area, filed the case with Konabari police station on Tuesday night.
Police arrested nine people till filing of this report, Officer-in-Charge of Konabari police station KM Ashraf Hossain confirmed the matter on Thursday morning.
The deceased was identified as Emran Hossain, 32, of Tumbaria village in Kasba upazila of Cumilla, and son of Jahurul Haque. He was working at ABM Fashion Limited.
The arrested are Rifat, 19, Noor Hossain, 18, Mahidul Islam, 20, Khobayet, 20, Shanto Talukdar, 21, Rahim Badsha, 22, Sher Ali, 19, Yasin, 19, and Tofail, 22.
On Wednesday afternoon, the police produced them in the Gazipur Metropolitan Magistrate's Court, seeking a five-day remand. The court granted three-day remand to interrogate them in the custody.
According to police sources and case documents, the protesters entered the factory and caused widespread damage to various offices, machinery, important accessories, fabrics, readymade garments, generator, compressors and AC units, vandalising the factory from the ground floor to the fifth floor.
Agitated workers poured petrol and set fire to offices, floors, fabrics warehouse, cutting and swing sections of the factory from the ground floor to the third floor, they said.
BGB members have been deployed to beef up security as the workers of garment factories have been demonstrating for the past few days in Dhaka and elsewhere, demanding a minimum salary of Tk 23,000.
Two workers were killed in clashes with police while one during vandalism. BGB was deployed as workers again started demonstrating on Thursday.
Gazipur Deputy Commissioner (DC) Abul Fateh Mohammad Shafiqul Islam said, “18 platoons of BGB have been deployed in Gazipur. BGB was deployed earlier but today the number of its members has been increased.”
