Female garment worker killed during clash with police in Gazipur

A female garment worker was killed today in a clash between police and workers protesting for a Tk 23,000 minimum wage in Gazipur‍‍`s Konabari area.

Anzuara Khatun, 24, a sewing machine operator in a Konabari garment factory, was injured in the clash and declared dead at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), according to Inspector Bachchu Mia, in charge of the DMCH Police Outpost.

She was the wife of Montu Miah of Kazipara in Sirajganj.

Another garment worker, Jalal Uddin, was injured in the clash, Bachchu Mia said.

Two people were injured in the clash and were taken to Dhaka for treatment, said Gazipur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mahbub Alam. He had no idea if any of them had died.

At one point during the protest, garment workers began vandalizing factories and trying to get other workers to join their movement, said Alam.

When the workers noticed police officers in the area, they began throwing bricks at them, forcing police to fire tear gas canisters and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters.

The brother of the deceased, Md Mostafa, told the media, "My sister took part in the movement around 8:00am demanding an increase in wages. Police opened fire during the protest. My sister was shot and injured."

He said she was immediately taken to a private hospital in Konabari and then referred to Dhaka.

Mostafa said that Anzuara died on the way to Dhaka.

The incident occurred just one day after the garment workers‍‍` wage board set the minimum wage at Tk 12,500.

Union leaders have spoken out against the new minimum wage.

Yesterday, union leaders threatened to hold large-scale protests. Workers had been on strike for 12 days in a row.