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dpa
Dhaka
At least five people were killed and a dozen others wounded after the workers of an under-construction power plant clashed with police in southern Bangladesh, police said on Saturday.
Officer Azizul Islam said the violence ensued when the police fired tear gas to disperse several hundred workers demonstrating at the power plant premises to demand payment of salaries that were owed.
The 1,224-megawatt coal-based plant is being constructed by private conglomerate the S Alam Group at Banshkhali in the Chattogram district, nearly 250 kilometres south-east of the capital Dhaka.
Islam said the stick-wielding protesters, along with a group of villagers, had attacked the police at one point during the demonstration, prompting the law officers to fire gunshots in self-defence.
Four of the protesters died at the scene, he said, adding that a dozen others, including six policemen, were wounded during the clashes and were rushed to hospital.
The fifth man died of bullet wounds at Chittagong Medical College and Hospital, said Silbroto Barua, another officer at the police outpost located at the health facilities.
Video posted by The Daily Star newspaper show a worker saying he was protesting due to a delay in the payment of monthly salary, which was due to be paid by April 10. He claimed the police attacked their peaceful protest.
Local government official Saiduzzaman Chowdhury said the unrest had been brewing inside the power plant for the last couple of days as the workers were bargaining with the power plant administration over their demands, including a salary increase and timely payment.
Security has been beefed up in the area to avert further escalation of the situation, he said. Earlier in April 2016, four people were killed in clashes when local residents protested against land acquired for the power plant, called SS Power I Limited.
Dhaka
At least five people were killed and a dozen others wounded after the workers of an under-construction power plant clashed with police in southern Bangladesh, police said on Saturday.
Officer Azizul Islam said the violence ensued when the police fired tear gas to disperse several hundred workers demonstrating at the power plant premises to demand payment of salaries that were owed.
The 1,224-megawatt coal-based plant is being constructed by private conglomerate the S Alam Group at Banshkhali in the Chattogram district, nearly 250 kilometres south-east of the capital Dhaka.
Islam said the stick-wielding protesters, along with a group of villagers, had attacked the police at one point during the demonstration, prompting the law officers to fire gunshots in self-defence.
Four of the protesters died at the scene, he said, adding that a dozen others, including six policemen, were wounded during the clashes and were rushed to hospital.
The fifth man died of bullet wounds at Chittagong Medical College and Hospital, said Silbroto Barua, another officer at the police outpost located at the health facilities.
Video posted by The Daily Star newspaper show a worker saying he was protesting due to a delay in the payment of monthly salary, which was due to be paid by April 10. He claimed the police attacked their peaceful protest.
Local government official Saiduzzaman Chowdhury said the unrest had been brewing inside the power plant for the last couple of days as the workers were bargaining with the power plant administration over their demands, including a salary increase and timely payment.
Security has been beefed up in the area to avert further escalation of the situation, he said. Earlier in April 2016, four people were killed in clashes when local residents protested against land acquired for the power plant, called SS Power I Limited.
