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DHAKA : Bangladeshi police fired rubber bullets on Saturday to subdue garment workers who rioted for a second day in protest against low pay as unrest spread to areas outside Dhaka, police said.
Workers fought pitched street battles with riot police in the manufacturing hub of Ashulia, north of Dhaka, as union officials rejected a government-backed pay hike as "insultingly low."
"Over 20,000 workers walked off the job and many clashed with police, hurling stones and rocks. We fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse them," police inspector Nasir Ahmed told AFP.
They also burnt tyres, blocked a key road linking Dhaka with northern Bangladesh, attacked factories and forced police to run for cover, an AFP correspondent at the scene said.
The factories have announced a shutdown in response and "violence has ebbed but the situation is still tense," Ahmed said.
At least 10,000 workers also blockaded a key road in Narayanganj, south of Dhaka, a police constable said, adding the labourers were holding a peaceful protest amid heavy police presence.
The protests come a day after violence erupted in a slew of locations across the Bangladeshi capital, forcing factories to close as riot police struggled to disperse crowds with baton charges and tear gas.
The workers looted and ransacked factories, set vehicles afire and smashed shops and cars, leaving a trail of devastation.
The violent protests are in response to the government's announcement Tuesday that the minimum monthly wage for garment workers would rise by 80 percent to 3,000 taka (43 dollars) from 1,662 taka -- the lowest industry salary worldwide.
Most of the unions have spurned the offer, saying the workers need at least 5,000 taka a month to ensure a minimum standard of living in the face of surging food prices.
They have threatened to keep up nationwide protests until the government meets their demands.
A host of global retailers import garments in bulk from Bangladesh, including Wal-Mart, Tesco, Zara, Marks & Spencer and Carrefour.
- AFP /ls
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