Owners kept closed 14 apparel factories at Ashulia in Dhaka on Sunday to stave off further trouble after clashes between the police and workers on Friday and Saturday.
   At least 100 people were injured and 10 factories of the NASA Group and 15 vehicles were vandalised in the area on Saturday by workers who rallied for Tk 5,000 in their monthly minimum wage.
   Workers of NASA Group garments also rallied for wage increase and the factory officials assaulted a woman worker after which others abstained from work.
   The Ashulia police said three cases had been filed till Sunday evening — two against 180 people in connection with attacks on garment factories in the area and one against 200 unnamed people.
   Workers of the Oceanian Sweater Limited at Dendabar, meanwhile, rallied for payment of their dues about 10:00am on Sunday.
   A meeting involving the police, workers and the owners failed to resolve the matter and the authorities later announced layoff at the factory for an indefinite period.
   Three other Envoy Group factories also announced layoff after their workers had demanded release of their fellows arrested on June 13 at protests seeking wage increase.
   Ten other factories suspended their production amid workers’ agitation, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters’ Association said.
   The BGMEA president, Abdus Salam Murshedy, also the Envoy Group managing director, said the workers had gone out on demonstrations even after getting paid their dues for which the factory managements announced the layoff.
   The Bangladesh Trade Union Federation, meanwhile, condemned Saturday’s attack on the workers by the police.
   The federation said the police had attacked the workers to safeguard the interest of the owners.
   The Ashulia police on Sunday said three cases had been filed till Sunday evening against workers in connection with the clashes.
   The police said the NASA Group’s administrative officer Yousuf Majumder filed a case against 59 named and 80 unnamed workers with the Ashulia police after Friday’s incident.
   The second case was filed by NASA Group official Gofran Ali against 11 named and 30 unnamed workers after Saturday’s incident.
   The Ashulia police officer-in-charge, Sirajul Islam, said they had filed the third case against about 200 unnamed workers in connection with vandalism of vehicles and attack on law enforcers.
   There are more than 4 million people, mostly women, working in the readymade garment sector.
   Sources said the workers demanded Tk 6,200 in their minimum wage, which is now Tk 1,662 as set in 2006. The owners offered the workers only Tk 1887.
   On June 13, operation of seven garment factories at Ashulia was suspended after thousands of workers had vandalised six factories and clashed with the police centring on minimum wage increase.
   On April 15, productions of all six garment factories of the NASA Group were suspended after clashes in which 50 were injured.