Over 50 injured as garment workers go berserk over trifling matter

DHAKA, Nov. 24 (nsnewswire) — More than 50 people including three firemen and cops were injured as thousands of Bangladesh garment workers Sunday morning fought pitched battles with law enforcers in Savar on the outskirts capital Dhaka.
Spurred by rumors that a female worker had been tortured by the firemen, according to the eyewitnesses, thousands of workers from a number of factories attacked a fire station in the country’s leading industrial hub.
They said the angry workers vandalized 10-12 vehicles.
The agitating workers claimed that some of their female colleagues were manhandled by firemen.
The workers went berserk following a brawl with some firemen.
A bus carrying garment workers of factory rammed in to a footpath in front of the fire service office on Sunday morning while taking a u-turn at about 7:30 a.m. local time, sources said.
As an on-duty fireman shouted at them, the workers got down off the bus and locked into a brawl with the officials of the fire station.
Huge street clashes erupted when police arrived and tried to disperse the situation by firing rubber-bullets and lobbing tear-gas canisters.
The unruly worker looted office equipment and torched a motorcycle and two vehicles of the fire service office.
The workers then blocked a highway where they also damaged many vehicles to bring traffic near to a halt for one and a half hour.
Clashes once again broke out as police tried to evict the workers from the highway to lift the blockade.
Locals said at least 50 people were injured during the clashes which lasted for about two hours.