A garment worker was shot dead and around 30 people were injured during a clash between protesting workers and law enforcers in Ashulia of Savar yesterday.

Kawsar Ahmed Khan, 26, was a sewing machine operator at Mango Tex factory.

Five workers were in hospitals with bullet wounds.

The clash broke out in front of the office of Mondol Group in Tongibari area on Baipail-Abdullahpur Road around noon, workers said.

They said a meeting was held yesterday morning between the owners of Mondol Group, and its workers, labour representatives, and law enforcers over workers' demands.

No agreement was reached and some of the workers gathered outside the factory. Later, employees of other factories joined them.

The agitated workers then vandalised five vehicles of the joint forces, compelling law enforcers to charge truncheons on them, witnesses said, adding that the law enforcers opened fire at one point.

Sumon, a worker of Natural Denims, said, "Everyone was working in our factory in the morning. When the workers of Mondol Group started protesting in front of their factory, our workers went there to express solidarity. A few other factory workers also joined there. At that time, the members of the joint forces started charging batons and firing at the workers."

Kawsar, along with other injured, was rushed to Enam Medical College Hospital in Savar where doctors declared him dead on arrival around 1:00pm.

Enamul Haque, a physician at the hospital, told The Daily Star, "He [Kawsar] had a bullet wound on his lower abdomen while two others were shot in the chest."

One of the injured was moved to the ICU, he said.

Mango Tex worker Ekramul Haque, who took them to the hospital, told The Daily Star that employees of Mondol Group were protesting. "Our factory is opposite to Mondol Group's. As we were heading home after work, law enforcers started firing at us," he said.

The workers clashed with police, industrial police, Rab, and army personnel.

Additional DIG of Dhaka Range Mostafizur Rahman was present at the spot, our Savar correspondent reports.

The Daily Star tried to reach him for comments but failed despite repeated attempts.

Jewel Miah, officer-in-charge of Savar Model Police Station, told The Daily Star that Kawsar's body was sent to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College morgue for an autopsy.

A senior official of Ashulia Industrial Police, wishing anonymity, said, "It is a sensitive issue, I don't want to say anything. I don't know who opened fire."

The officer said seven members of industrial police were injured during the clash. The injured include Ashulia Industrial Police SP Md Sarwar Alam, who was hit on the head by a brick chunk hurled by the protesters.

This paper last night called two officials of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) for comments, but they did not pick up the phone. 

At least 20 factories in the area were shut yesterday due to the violence.

WHY THE UNREST

Workers' union leaders have been complaining that the workers unrest continued because a handful of factories failed to implement their 18-point demand that was accepted in a tripartite meeting on September 24.

They said some factories were yet to pay the workers' arrears and some were not paying the Tk 225 attendance bonus and Tk 10 for tiffin.

A group of union leaders at a meeting, organised by the labour and employment ministry on Sunday night, held broken promises responsible for the latest spell of agitation in the garment manufacturing belts.

They called for an immediate implementation of their 18-point demand.

The leaders also underscored unresolved issues, like non-withdrawal of cases against workers, and workers being abused.

Khairul Mamun Mintu, legal affairs secretary of Bangladesh Garment and Sweater Sramik Trade Union Kendra, told The Daily Star that the BGMEA and the factory owners agreeing to workers' demands had calmed the industrial belt.

"My question is why Mondol Group's problem was not discussed at the BGMEA. I am not protesting against charging truncheons on workers or throwing teargas canisters at them. But why bullets were used? If the workers are still shot dead then what is the change?"

He held the government, the BGMEA, and the factory owners responsible for the killing and demanded a thorough probe.

Meanwhile, workers of Birds Group in the Ashulia industrial area blocked the Nabinagar-Chandra highway yesterday morning, demanding arrears and reopening of the factory. The blockade was still in place when this report was filed at 11:00pm yesterday.

BGMEA'S SAY

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) in a statement expressed sadness at the death of Kawsar and gave Tk 5 lakh to his family as an immediate financial assistance.

BGMEA acting president Abdullah Hil Rakib, during a press conference at the BGMEA office yesterday, sought greater safety for garment factories.

Rakib said despite meeting the 18-point demand, factory owners cannot keep their units operational due to workers' demonstrations, which often spreads from one factory to another.

He claimed that the workers were taking advantage of a weak law and order.

At the press conference, affected factory owners said their units were vandalised, looted, and torched. They said they lost $4.8 lakh due to factory closures.

A few factory owners said they could not run their factories for 26 days last month and buyers were putting pressure on them for timely shipment.

Nazmul Kabir, managing director of AR Jeans, said workers were about to torch his factory on Sunday evening but law enforcers were able to stop them. He said he had goods worth Tk 200 crore in the factory then.

He did not open his factory yesterday fearing further unrest.

Kamran Sadique, director of MBM, said profit margins have plummeted to the lowest level ever because of buyers' insistence on low prices.