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Endemic labour unrest in Bangladesh's main export industry erupted into massive clashes between the garment workers and law-enforcers in Ashulia on Monday, leaving one worker shot dead and several injured.
Kawsar Hossain Khan, a 27-year-old factory worker at Mango Tex Limited in Zirabo area, succumbed to gunfire during the clashes at around 11:30 am in front of the Mandol Group factory on the Tongi-Ashulia EPZ road, officials and witnesses said.
Two more workers were initially reported among the injured -- Habib, a worker at Natural Denims, and Nazmul Hasan, worker at Natural Indigo Factory.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) in a statement said while the factory management was discussing the demands of Mandal Group workers in Zirabo area with workers' representatives in presence of army personnel, some outsiders spread rumours about two workers' death and gathered outside the factory.
Workers from other factories soon began to assemble at the place, leading to a standoff with law-enforcement agents.
"Meanwhile, two outsiders fired at the factory from outside, shattering the building's windows and damaging furniture," the trade body said in a spot account in its statement.
Law-enforcement members later got down at the scene confronting workers at the base of the factory.
"Tensions escalated after some vehicles belonging to law-enforcement forces being vandalised by both the outsiders and the workers," it said, claiming that the law-enforcers, at one stage, were forced to fire in self-defence as workers got more agitated.
When several law-enforcement personnel and workers were seriously injured, the affected workers were taken to local PMK Hospital and Enam Medical College Hospital in Savar.
The duty doctor at Enam Medical declared Kawsar Hossain Khan dead.
The BGMEA statement added that eleven members of law enforcement injured during the encounter were receiving treatment at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka.
The apex body of apparel sector expressed deep sorrow on the death of the worker and stated that the family of the deceased was given Tk 0.5 million in compensation, and "all dues would be paid in accordance with labour law soon."
Meantime, Ashulia belt garment-factory owners on the day called for beefing up security to keep their units operational amid the ongoing labour unrest in Savar and Ashulia since the end of last month despite meeting workers' demands.
They said factories located in the industrial belt of Ashulia, Zirani, and Zirabo are facing closures daily owing to the unrest, with 31 factories declared shut on Monday.
Out of the 31, some 12 units suspended operation in line with labour law provision of 13(1) and the rest 19 announced paid holiday after starting operations in the morning.
The manufacturers in a meeting at the BGMEA office in Uttara said the miscreants are trying to destabilize the sector and immediate stricter action of the law-enforcement agencies is a must-do to address these challenges.
BGMEA senior vice-president Abdullah Hil Rakib urged the interim government and law-enforcement agencies to focus sincerely on the safety and security of the RMG sector, failing which it would be tough for them to keep factories in operation.
"If we cannot run the factories, they will become sick gradually and the sector will incur losses," he said, on a note of alarm.
The manufacturers also notes that the labour unrest has been continuing in the garment sector even after meeting the 18-point demand as "a group of people are spreading rumours taking the advantage of weak law-and -order situation".
Among 3,000 to 4,000 workers of a factory unit, only 40 to 50 workers are involved in creating anarchy and they "are instigated by outsiders and some vested-interest groups", the factory owners alleged, adding that despite meeting all their demands, workers are still on protest over some "illogical demands" and provoke workers of other factories to join them, which spread the nearby factories as per domino-effect theory.
Khan Monirul Alam Shubho , managing director of Fashion.com Ltd, said a factory might have an internal problem but, based on this, a section of the workers was attacking other factories, doing vandalism, and inciting the workers of other factories by spreading various rumours.
"The demand for safe working environment is our demand too. We can't run a factory with the fear of outside attack or risk of setting fire. The state should take measures, labour and industries ministries need to be more proactive," he added.
The labour leaders must also clarify their position as to why the movement is still going on despite the joint agreement meeting the 18-point demands, he noted.
Hafijur Rahman, managing director of Lusaka Group, alleged the workers are divided into a number of small groups and instantly raise different demands.
The factory filed cases against the workers who were involved in a recent factory vandalism, he mentioned, adding that despite withdrawal of the cases, the workers are still on protest.
"We need immediate support of the law- enforcement agencies to keep our factories operational," he says in an appeal.
AR Jeans Producer Ltd, a LEED-certified green factory, avoided a major threat of arson attack on Sunday though its gate and generator room were burnt, the meeting was informed.
Nazmul Kabir, managing director of AR Jeans, said he formed a protection belt with 300 workers to guard his factory from the vandals as per the recommendation of the Bangladesh Army.
"However, they attacked my factory with torches and wanted to burn it for my initiative to form a protection belt," he said, adding it is impossible to run factory under constant threat of outsiders' attack.
Speaking there, BGMEA director Shehreen Salam Oishee said they need two major assurances at this moment to keep factory operational -- a safe manufacturing atmosphere and the security of the industrial units.
The factory owners also said that they would be unable to pay the workers if the factories remained closed for 15 to 20 days of the month.