United News of Bangladesh

Vehicular movement on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway remained suspended since Wednesday morning as the workers of a garment factory put up barricade on the highway at Bagher Bazar in Sadar upazila of Gazipur district protesting the death of a fellow in road accident. The workers of Golden Refit Garments Limited took to the street at Bagher Bazar area in the upazila around 8 am, halting vehicular movement on the busy highway. The protesting workers said Zannatul Ferdous Tamanna, 32, a worker of Golden Refit Garments Ltd, was killed as a truck hit an auto-rickshaw carrying her on the way to her workplace in the morning. Commuters suffer as RMG workers continue Dhaka-M’singh highway blockade Abdul Halim, officer-in-charge of Joydebpur Police Station, said the law enforcement agencies are working to bring the situation under control.    

Workers of a garment factory staged a demonstration on Sunday on Chandra-Nabinagar highway in Gazipur, demanding a wage increase. The authorities of 15 factories declared holiday fearing further trouble. Workers and locals said workers of Irish Fashion Ltd took to the highway in the morning demanding an increase in their wages. BNP to strengthen national unity against fascism: Salahuddin As per a government proposal, a nine percent salary increase is mandated for workers who have completed one year of service. However, workers with less than one year of service staged demonstrations on the highway, demanding a wage hike. Later the workers from other factories joined the demonstrating workers. During the demonstration, traffic movement on the highway remained halted for a while. RMG workers block Chandra-Nabinagar highway in Gazipur Abu Taleb, assistant superintendent of industrial police in Gazipur, said additional police forces were deployed in the area. He said the vehicular movement resumed after the workers left the highway.  Another 4% hike in annual increment recommended for RMG workers

Traffic movement between Mirpur-14 to Kachukhet in Dhaka resumed around one hour after workers of a readymade (RMG) garment withdrew their blockade demanding arrears on Monday morning. Shah Mohammad Faisal, Officer-in-Charge of Bhashantek police station, said workers of one Uniform Garment factory put up a barricade in front of the factory on the road demanding the current month’s wages around 9:15am, causing long tailbacks on the both sides of the road. Gas cylinder blast kills 3, injures 20 in Lakshmipur The authorities of six or seven factories adjacent to Uniform Garment declared holiday apprehending trouble, he said. The agitating workers left the road upon assurance by the authorities of providing the arrears tomorrow (Tuesday), the OC said.

A garment worker was allegedly hacked to death by miscreants at Fatullah Union in Narayanganj Sadar upazila Friday evening. The deceased was identified as Aman Ali, 17, only son of late Habibur Rahman of Kachandhubra village in Pirganj upazila of Thakurgaon district. Mother of the deceased, Joygun, said:"A boy came to me in the evening and told me that someone stabbed my son in the Mazdail Pakapul area. After hearing that, I rushed to the spot and took my son to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital where the on-duty doctor declared him dead around 8.52 pm." READ: Woman hacked to death in Chattogram, 1 held Confirming the matter, Md. Bachchu Mia, in-charge inspector of the hospital police outpost, said that the body was kept in the hospital morgue for autopsy. READ: Woman hacked to death in Pabna; Youth held

A garment worker on Friday succumbed to his burn injuries he sustained in a fire at a residential apartment in Siddhirganj area of Narayanganj. The deceased was identified as Mamun, 27. He died at 8 am at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), said Bachchu Mia, in-charge inspector of DMCH police outpost. Also read: Mugda fire: Mother-son duo dies of burn injuries Mamun along with his two other coworkers sustained burn injuries following a sudden gas explosion at a flat of the seven-storey building on Thursday. Subsequently, he was admitted to the institute on Thursday with 100 percent burns. The two more injured workers -- Parvej, 28, with 100 percent burns, and Jibon, 20, with 30 percent burns, -- are currently being treated at the hospital, said Dr SM Ayub Hossain, resident surgeon. The fire broke out at the building around 6pm on Thursday. Riaz, a colleague of the victims, said that the workers were at their residence and getting ready for the night shift when the fire broke out from a sudden gas explosion. Earlier, UNB ran a story mistakenly saying that the three workers of Ananta Group sustained burn injuries in a garment factory fire. Also read: Rupganj rice mill fire: Two injured workers die However, Ananta Group said their employees sustained burn injuries in a rented apartment opposite to Adamjee EPZ main gate across the canal, not in their factory. The three coworkers were residing in the rented apartment. The group said necessary administrative and logistic support from the management has been extended. “We’ll continue to look after our employees,” it said. The UNB, however, regrets the inadvertent mistake.

A female worker of readymade garments was allegedly gang raped in Mulaid area of Sripur in Gazipur early Tuesday. Officer-in-Charge of Sripur Police Station Golam Sarowar Jahan said the house owner of the victim ousted her from the house on Monday night raising different accusations. Taking advantage of the situation, one Mizan Fakir in the name of helping her provided her a room in his house, OC said. Also read: Rape epidemic: 2 held over gang-rape of Pabna woman Later, as the night progressed Mizan went to the victim’s room and violated her along with four others, the cop said. However, the victim managed to flee from that room and filed a case over the matter in the morning, he added. Police arrested one of the accused and are trying to catch the others, OC said. Also read: Housewife ‘gang-raped’ in Patuakhali Rape culture Rape incidents continue to take place even after the government amended the law making death penalty the highest punishment for the crime. Last month, a police headquarters report said 26,695 rape cases had been filed across the country in the last five years. Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) data show that 1,018 children were raped last year, but only 683 police cases were filed. Also, 116 victims were 6 years old or below. Also read: Police HQ: 26,695 rape cases filed in 5 yrs, with notable jump since 2019 Overall, 1,627 rape cases were reported last year and 53 of the victims were killed by the perpetrators while 14 took their own lives, the data showed. The original number is believed to be higher as most victims don’t report incidents of sexual assault fearing for their safety and social stigmatisation. Following days of protests against sexual violence against women across Bangladesh, the government introduced death penalty for rape in October last year. In November, the Parliament passed the necessary amendment.

A garment worker, Saddam Hossain, went missing after diving off a boat  into the Sitalakhya river, in order to avoid a more catastrophic  accident at Nabiganj Kheyaghat of Narayanganj district on Monday.

A RMG factory worker was killed and another injured as a pick-up hit a motorcycle in Savar municipal area on Monday morning.

A readymade garment (RMG) worker was diagnosed with coronavirus at Ulail of Savar on Sunday.   Altogether, eight RMG workers have so far tested positive in Savar, said Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Sayemul Huda.   Besides, 67 samples have been also collected for test.   A delegation of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) led by its official Tapan Kumar Biswas inspected different garment factories in the upazila on Sunday for monitoring whether social distancing is being followed there.   Meanwhile, garment worker Selim Hossain, who went into hiding after he was diagnosed with COVID-19 six days ago, still remains missing.   Confirmed coronavirus cases in Bangladesh jumped to 9,455 on Sunday after 665 more people tested positive in the last 24 hours. Besides, two more patients died during the period, raising the death toll in the country to 177.

A garment worker, who returned home from Ashulia in Savar, underwent coronavirus test after showing symptoms and started for his workplace on April 25 without getting the report.