By IANS
Dhaka : Over 100 people were injured as agitating readymade garment industry workers clashed with the police for the second day Tuesday at Mirpur on the outskirts of the national capital.
The stir went out of control following rumours that one worker had died, United News of Bangladesh news agency said.
Police fired teargas shells as workers put up barricades and fought pitched battles with the police, Star Online said.
Garment workers in the area have been holding demonstrations over the last few days to press various demands, including increase of wages and immediate payment of salary arrears.
The Mirpur area, where many readymade garment factories are located, turned into a virtual battlefield as several thousand garment factory workers engaged the police in a fierce clash.
Twenty policemen were among those injured.
Workers of readymade garments and knitwear manufacturing industries have been demanding shorter working hours as per international laws, better wages and bonuses at festival times.
A pact reached in 2006 has not helped as many of the employers have reneged from the agreement, media reports said.
In an editorial, The Daily Star Tuesday blamed these employers and the government for the continuing problems in an industry that accounts for 70 percent of the export earnings of Bangladesh.
“What defies comprehension is the perennial nature of the problem,” the editorial said.
It suggested a roving body in the nature of a mobile court headed by a judge with powers to address legitimate demands of the workers.
“Of course, the longer term agenda cannot be abandoned. The root cause of the trouble having to do with large profits made by owners vis-à-vis poor salary structure and terms and conditions of service is seldom looked into, far less addressed on a durable basis,” the newspaper said.