About fifty workers were injured at a factory in Savar as they tried to hurriedly leave the building during yesterday’s earthquake. Several vehicles were also vandalised on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway and the road was blocked for some time by locals after the workers were allegedly obstructed from leaving the compound by security men. Police later fired bullets and tear gas shells to bring the situation under control. SM Kamruzzaman, officer in-charge (OC) of Savar Police told The Independent that some workers were injured while getting off hurriedly from the ten-storied factory building of Al-Muslim group. But no one died in the incident. An eyewitness told The Independent that the Al-Muslim Group factory at Kornopara in Ulail shook during yesterday’s earthquake at noon. As workers panicked and tried to leave the factory, security personnel obstructed them from leaving the factory building. Shamsul Haque, a labour union leader, alleged that the factory authorities did not give proper attention to the injured workers and confined him and seized his mobile phone which he had used to record a video of the injured persons. The security in-charge of the factory said he was unable to give any details. No official of the factory was found to comment on the incident. Workers said they tried to escape from the factory as the earthquake shook the building. But security officials did not allow them to leave. The workers then got engaged in an altercation with security guards and several female workers got hurt as panic-stricken workers rushed. Later, some workers broke the main entrance of the factory. They also threw brick chips and stones at factory officials. A man who came there looking for his wife, a worker at the factory, received bullet injury during the clash, said workers union leader Shamsul. Rabiul Al-Amin of Savar Fire Service and Civil Defence said, “We did not get any information about casualties. The ten storied building of Al-Muslim Group has adequate fire fighting and earthquake emergency evacuation measures.” About 18,000 workers, mostly female, are employed by AKM Knit Wear, Pacific Blue Jeans Wear, Al-Muslim Washing, Al-Muslim Garments Accessories, Al-Muslim Yarn Dyeing and Al-Muslim Builders Limited, housed in that 10-storied building. Dr. Anwarul Quader of Enam Medical College Hospital said about 50 workers were admitted to the hospital, but no one was seriously hurt.
