150 hurt as Bangladesh police disperse protestors

At least 150 people were injured when police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse wage protests by textile workers in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka and main port city of Chittagong on Sunday.

Witnesses said around 50 people were injured in the capital and another 100 in Chittagong, some 300 km (190 miles) to the southeast.

Police said around 4,000 workers attacked police and vandalized at least 20 vehicles, including setting fire to one, in Chittagong.

Another 50 people were injured as garments workers clashed with police and smashed vehicles at Kuril in Dhaka. It took police several hours to bring the situation under control.

The violence forced some 300 industrial units, mostly garment factories, to close down in the Chittagong Export Procession Zone. Factory officials and police said they would be reopened as soon as possible.

The government raised minimum monthly salaries for garment workers couple of months ago, but the protesters said they were not being paid accordingly.

The new minimum wage was raised to 3,000 taka ($43), from 1,662 taka ($24) earlier, payable from Dec. 1.

Garments account for more than 80 percent of Bangladesh's annual exports worth of more than $16 billion, and have been a mainstay of the economy.

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