BANGLADESH

Garment workers blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway protesting against the detention of a fellow worker for a second day on Sunday, a day after violence between police and workers had left at least 100 people injured.

One female worker died after being run over by a speeding bus during the violence on Saturday.

Ashulia Police Station officer-in-charge (investigation) Mustafa Kamal said on Sunday that the workers brought in tree trunks to block the highway near Narshinghapur and set them on fire around 9am. They also vandalised around 25 vehicles.

He said chases and counter-chases also took place between the workers and the police on Sunday and at the height of the clash around 10am had fired rubber bullets and tear shells.

Operations in about 100 factories remained suspended on Sunday amid fear of further violence.

On Saturday, police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to bring the situation under control after the protesting workers blocked the road, smashed vehicles and attacked police. Some 100 people including 10 police officials were injured in the violence on Saturday.

The workers took to the street to protest against detention of a worker of Hameem Group's Artistic Design Limited who was detained on Thursday after he allegedly attacked an official of the group.

Thursday's detention of the worker followed an altercation with an official over talking on mobile phone during work. The authorities of Artistic Design handed over the worker to the police as he had allegedly beat up the official.

Opex Sweater worker 'Nahara', 30, died when she was run over by a bus while trying to flee police action.