Dhaka,Bangladesh Global: Dhaka's Kafrul and Mirpur-14 erupted into a battlefield this morning as protesting garment workers clashed with police and army personnel, leaving two workers shot and several others injured.
The violence broke out after a sudden layoff and closure of a local garment factory spurred protests, with workers from neighbouring factories joining in.
The injured, identified as Al Amin Hossain, 17, and Jhuma Akhter, 15, both operators at Centex Fashions Ltd, were rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
While Jhuma received treatment for a gunshot wound to her right leg and was later discharged, Al Amin remains in surgery for a bullet wound to his back, said DMCH Police Outpost In-Charge Inspector Md Faruk.
According to witnesses, the confrontation began around 8:30am when workers took to the streets in protest. Within minutes, employees from other factories in Mirpur-14 and Kachukhet joined the demonstration. Clashes with law enforcement ensued, lasting until around 10:00am, with tensions still high at 10:45am, our correspondent reported.
Kabir Hossain, a colleague of the injured workers, said law enforcers opened fire during the confrontation.
Al Amin, who lives in the BRP area of Mirpur-14, was hit while he was on his way home, he said.
Jhuma's elder sister, Marjina Begum, confirmed that her sister was struck in the leg.
In the course of the unrest, two vehicles belonging to police and army were vandalised and set ablaze, according to Kazi Golam Mostafa, officer-in-charge of Kafrul Police Station.
In response, police and army officers took action to disperse the crowd, and gunshots were reportedly heard. Videos circulating on social media showed scenes of protesters fleeing as gunfire sounded in the background.
Two firefighting units were deployed to control the blaze on the damaged vehicles, and traffic in the area was significantly disrupted.
The Mirpur Traffic Division redirected vehicles toward Bhasantek until around 11:00am, allowing only private cars on certain routes while army vehicles remained stationed in the area. By 11:00am, traffic flow had returned to normal.
Bangladesh Global/JS
Stay tuned for latest news and updates bangladeshglobal.com Log in to get breaking news and hot topics of the day:www.bangladeshglobal.com
