DHAKA, Bangladesh: About 700 garment factories in Bangladesh were shut Tuesday after days of violent protests by tens of thousands of workers demanding better wages.
The manufacturers decided late Monday to close their factories because they had no other way to avoid the anarchy in the major industrial hub outside the capital, according to an official at the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.
But the shut doors spurred more violence Tuesday, when workers smashed vehicles and set fire to at least five on a major highway, local police chief Sirajul Islam said. He said at least 30 people were injured after security officials used batons and tear gas to break up the demonstration.
