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GAZIPUR: A garment worker who was critically injured during workers’ protests in Gazipur over wage increases has died. Toufiq Sheikh, 21, died while undergoing treatment at Shin Shin Japan Hospital in Uttara, Dhaka, on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, more than 50 garment factories in Gazipur announced holidays on Tuesday night amid workers’ unrest and instability in the industrial area. Some factories declared a one-day closure, while others announced holidays for two to three days.
Toufiq Sheikh was the son of Tabibur Rahman Tabi Khan of Chhaygharia village in Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha. He lived in the Banglabazar area of Gazipur and worked at the local Layla Garments factory.
His relatives said Toufiq had been living in Banglabazar and working in garment factories for nearly five years. On Monday, while workers were protesting in front of Noman Group’s Territory Garments, Toufiq tried to record an attack on his mobile phone. At that point, the attackers turned on him and beat him, leaving him critically injured.
Fellow workers rescued him and took him to hospital, where he died on Tuesday morning while receiving treatment.
However, Gazipur Metropolitan Police Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) Mohammad Belayet Hossain said some outsiders had gone to a factory and pressured the authorities to shut it down. When the factory management refused, a clash broke out between the outsiders and factory workers, leaving one worker critically injured. He later died.
He added that no police personnel were present at the scene during the incident.
Factories announce holidays, hope for calm
More than 50 garment factories in Gazipur announced holidays amid workers’ unrest and instability in the industrial area. The information was confirmed through separate notices issued by factory authorities on Tuesday night.
Cotton Club (BD) Ltd and Cotton Cloud (BD) Ltd in the Kashimpur area of Gazipur city jointly announced a two-day general holiday.
According to notices issued by the companies, the factories will remain closed today (Wednesday) and tomorrow (Thursday) due to workers’ unrest, workplace instability and overall security risks in different industrial areas across the country over the determination and implementation of the minimum wage structure for the garment sector.
However, employees of the security and maintenance departments will remain exempt from the holidays.
