DHAKA: At least one worker was killed and 10 others injured on Tuesday when clashes broke out between workers and law enforcement personnel in northern Bangladesh, amid protests against factory closure and layoffs.
The workers gathered in the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in the Nilphamari district of the Rangpur Division, during which they clashed with the security officials, local media reported.
The deceased, identified as 20-year-old Habibur Rahman, worked at a knitting factory named Eku International, reports leading Bangladeshi daily, Prothom Alo.
"Habibur was on night duty at his factory. After finishing work this morning, he was shot and killed while leaving the EPZ, " the victim's elder brother, Ashiqur Rahman, said.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Nilphamari Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) MR Sayeed said, "We are still on the road. We are hearing from people that one person has died. I cannot say for sure whether anyone has died or not."
Reports suggest that the injured workers were transported to Nilphamari General Hospital.
According to Farhan Tanvirul Islam, a doctor at the hospital's emergency department, Habibur was brought dead to the hospital on Tuesday morning, and six people who sustained injuries have also been admitted to the hospital.
Reports suggest that 51 workers were recently laid off from the factory Evergreen, sparking outrage among employees.
As tensions ran high, management issued a notice declaring the factory closure for an indefinite period, starting on Tuesday, without clearing the workers' salaries and allowances.
On Tuesday morning, as the workers arrived for duty, they found the notice at the gate and were denied entry. Immediately, in protest, they gathered on the road in front of the EPZ, bringing traffic on the Nilphamari-Saidpur highway to a halt.